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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: rush · net · temple · bowl · object · scale · stem · wound

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. net — in sport
  3. scale — size or range
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. object — a thing
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. object — an aim
  12. scale — in music
  13. wound — an injury
  14. rush — hurry
  15. net — for catching
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. wound — an injury
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. object — to protest

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