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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: temple · plane · saw · stem · club · pitch · roll · game

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. roll — a list
  7. game — a match
  8. saw — the tool
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. roll — a cake
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — for golf
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — completely
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. club — a group
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. game — wild animals
  24. plane — a tool

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