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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: object · temple · mate · mark · track · swing · pit · mine

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. object — an aim
  3. pit — a hole
  4. mate — a friend
  5. object — to protest
  6. mate — to breed
  7. object — a thing
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. track — a path
  10. swing — music
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mark — a grade
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. track — to keep track
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. track — a song
  18. pit — in a race
  19. swing — to play on
  20. mate — a partner
  21. swing — in golf
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mark — a trace

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