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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 · game · can · temple · mark · roll · sharp · tube

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. net — in sport
  3. sharp — clever
  4. game — a match
  5. mark — a trace
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. tube — the underground
  9. can — a tin
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. roll — a cake
  12. tube — a container
  13. mark — a grade
  14. net — for catching
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. net — after costs
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. can — to be able to
  22. game — wild animals
  23. can — a tin
  24. sharp — exactly

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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