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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: stick · net · fine · temple · ball · land · perch · wave

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — all right
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. ball — a great time
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. ball — a dance
  9. perch — the fish
  10. land — a country
  11. land — to come down
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. net — after costs
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. net — in sport
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. land — ground
  22. net — for catching
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. temple — a place of worship

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