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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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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. track — to keep track
  3. cap — of ice
  4. key — in music
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. track — a path
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cap — a lid
  11. key — the most important part
  12. spell — letters
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. spell — magic
  15. key — for a lock
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. track — a song
  18. dip — to sink
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cap — a hat
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. spell — a short time

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