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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: roll · scale · saw · temple · rush · race · sharp · net

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. net — in sport
  4. saw — the tool
  5. race — a contest
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. sharp — clever
  8. saw — the tool
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. net — after costs
  13. race — the arms race
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. rush — hurry
  17. race — humankind
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — size or range
  20. net — for catching
  21. roll — a list
  22. roll — a cake
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — side of the head

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