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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: temple · staff · present · mouse · net · bat · court · saw

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. court — of law
  4. saw — the tool
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. present — the time now
  8. net — in sport
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. staff — employees
  12. present — a gift
  13. court — of a king
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. staff — employees
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. net — after costs
  20. bat — the animal
  21. court — for sport
  22. present — there
  23. net — for catching
  24. staff — a stick

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