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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 120 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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. staff — employees
  6. track — a path
  7. staff — employees
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. stock — shares
  10. cap — a hat
  11. stock — goods
  12. staff — a stick
  13. cap — a lid
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. track — a song
  17. cap — of ice
  18. temple — a place of worship

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