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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: track · object · pitch · fan · band · wax · cap · temple

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  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. temple — a place of worship
  2. band — a music group
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. object — a thing
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. object — an aim
  7. cap — of ice
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. cap — a lid
  10. object — to protest
  11. track — a path
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. track — a song
  14. cap — a hat
  15. track — to keep track
  16. wax — to grow
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. pitch — completely
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. fan — a supporter
  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