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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: sharp · temple · mate · bound · band · coach · ball · net

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a dance
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bound — tied together
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. net — after costs
  12. bound — obliged
  13. band — a ring
  14. net — for catching
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. band — a music group
  17. sharp — clever
  18. net — in sport
  19. mate — to breed
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. bound — certain
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — a friend
  24. sharp — exactly

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