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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: net · row · perch · lie · field · pit · temple · vault

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. net — in sport
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. net — for catching
  6. field — for sport
  7. field — a subject
  8. net — after costs
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. vault — a safe
  16. pit — a hole
  17. row — a line
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. row — to paddle
  20. pit — in a race
  21. field — farmland
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. perch — for a bird

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