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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. track — a path
  3. track — to keep track
  4. net — after costs
  5. court — of a king
  6. track — a song
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. net — for catching
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — a trail
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bass — the fish
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mate — a friend
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. mate — a partner
  20. court — for sport
  21. bass — low music
  22. court — of law
  23. plane — a tool
  24. 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