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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: patient · ruler · net · bowl · temple · pound

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. When was this ________________ built?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. net — in sport
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — after costs
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com