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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: rush · net · game · mark · temple · drill · fine · safe

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — for catching
  4. game — wild animals
  5. game — a match
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rush — hurry
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — a practice
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. drill — army training
  16. net — after costs
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. mark — a trace
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — all right
  24. mark — a grade

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