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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
468
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: date · root · track · ruler · scale · temple · spring · mate

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. track — a song
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. root — of a plant
  6. track — to keep track
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. scale — in music
  9. mate — to breed
  10. spring — the season
  11. track — a path
  12. scale — size or range
  13. date — the fruit
  14. root — the cause
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. spring — a coil
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — a partner
  20. root — of a word
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. spring — of water
  24. scale — for weighing

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