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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.

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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: temple · stick · rule · track · club · bank · pop · spell

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. club — for dancing
  3. spell — magic
  4. pop — to visit
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. bank — for money
  7. spell — a short time
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — music
  10. club — for golf
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. track — to keep track
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rule — a law
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bank — of a river
  17. club — a group
  18. spell — letters
  19. bank — for money
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rule — government
  22. track — a song
  23. track — a path
  24. rule — to rule out

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