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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: cell · temple · cue · squash · track · scale · net · last

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. track — to keep track
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. net — in sport
  8. cell — a phone
  9. last — final
  10. cue — for pool
  11. last — to go on
  12. cue — a signal
  13. squash — to crush
  14. scale — in music
  15. squash — the sport
  16. track — a song
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. track — a path
  19. scale — size or range
  20. net — after costs
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. cell — in biology
  23. last — finally
  24. cue — a hint

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