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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: tube · temple · scale · swing · mate · net · pitch · roll

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. mate — a partner
  3. pitch — completely
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. mate — a friend
  8. scale — in music
  9. net — in sport
  10. mate — to breed
  11. net — after costs
  12. scale — size or range
  13. tube — a container
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. swing — to play on
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. swing — music
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. roll — a list
  20. tube — the underground
  21. roll — a cake
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. net — for catching
  24. scale — for weighing

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