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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 124 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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Word bank
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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: hide · temple · net · bowl · stand · pop · pit · wound

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. pit — in a race
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. pop — to visit
  8. wound — an injury
  9. stand — to bear
  10. pit — a hole
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — soda
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. wound — an injury
  24. hide — to keep secret

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