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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: temple · object · branch · ground · net · court · track · bowl

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. ground — a position
  3. net — in sport
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. net — after costs
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. object — to protest
  11. branch — a division
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. track — a path
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. track — a song
  17. court — of a king
  18. object — a thing
  19. track — to keep track
  20. court — for sport
  21. object — an aim
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. court — of law

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