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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: pass · chest · bowl · pit · craft · temple · net · dip

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. pit — a hole
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. net — in sport
  9. chest — a box
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. craft — boats
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. craft — a skill
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — after costs
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. chest — of your body

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