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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · temple · bass · face · squash · staff · net · row

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. face — to point toward
  7. net — for catching
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bass — low music
  11. face — to confront
  12. staff — employees
  13. net — in sport
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. row — a line
  17. squash — the sport
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. row — to paddle
  22. bass — the fish
  23. net — after costs
  24. face — part 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