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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
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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: racket · scale · press · tube · last · game · temple · land

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. press — a publisher
  7. tube — a container
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. press — newspapers
  10. land — to come down
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — a match
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. land — ground
  15. game — wild animals
  16. land — a country
  17. last — finally
  18. press — to push
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. last — final
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. tube — the underground
  23. last — to go on
  24. temple — side of the head

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