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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: net · perch · bowl · field · temple · cue · jam · patient

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. net — after costs
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. field — farmland
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. net — in sport
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. field — a subject
  14. cue — a hint
  15. field — for sport
  16. net — for catching
  17. cue — for pool
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. perch — the fish
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. cue — a signal

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