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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: ball · net · rest · track · can · club · rash · temple

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. rash — hasty
  8. club — a group
  9. track — a path
  10. track — to keep track
  11. rash — a series
  12. club — for golf
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. track — a song
  15. ball — a dance
  16. net — in sport
  17. rest — a break
  18. ball — a great time
  19. net — for catching
  20. rest — what's left
  21. club — for dancing
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. rest — what's left
  24. net — after costs

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