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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: net · object · game · temple · bark · land · wave · mark

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. net — for catching
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. net — in sport
  8. land — ground
  9. mark — a trace
  10. object — a thing
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. game — wild animals
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — an aim
  17. mark — a grade
  18. game — a match
  19. bark — to shout
  20. land — a country
  21. net — after costs
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. land — to come down
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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