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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: game · net · press · bore · temple · bound · track · row

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bound — tied together
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. press — to push
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. row — a line
  9. net — in sport
  10. track — a song
  11. track — a path
  12. bound — certain
  13. bore — to tire
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. press — newspapers
  16. row — to paddle
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. press — a publisher
  19. bound — obliged
  20. game — wild animals
  21. net — after costs
  22. track — to keep track
  23. game — a match
  24. bore — to drill

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