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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: fall · row · ball · net · pop · stand · temple · mug

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. fall — the season
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. row — a line
  5. mug — a cup
  6. net — in sport
  7. ball — a great time
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. pop — music
  10. row — to paddle
  11. pop — soda
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. net — after costs
  15. mug — to rob
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mug — a face
  18. fall — to drop
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. net — for catching
  23. pop — to visit
  24. stand — to bear

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