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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 120 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: mark · bat · game · net · object · temple · foot · coach

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. game — a match
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. mark — a grade
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mark — a trace
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. object — a thing
  10. net — after costs
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bat — the animal
  16. net — for catching
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — an aim
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. foot — a measure
  23. coach — a trainer
  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