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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. squash — the sport
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. present — the time now
  8. roll — a cake
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. band — a music group
  14. squash — to crush
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. track — a song
  19. present — there
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. present — a gift
  23. roll — a list
  24. band — a ring

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