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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: net · chair · game · track · temple · key · coach · press

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. game — wild animals
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. track — a song
  7. net — for catching
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. chair — a leader
  10. net — in sport
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a path
  15. press — a publisher
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. press — to push
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. press — newspapers
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. game — a match
  23. key — for a lock
  24. game — a kind of play

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