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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: track · cell · rash · file · club · game · temple · bass

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. file — a line of people
  6. file — a document
  7. cell — a phone
  8. bass — low music
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. club — for golf
  11. rash — hasty
  12. track — to keep track
  13. club — for dancing
  14. bass — the fish
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. rash — a series
  17. cell — in biology
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. file — a tool
  21. track — a song
  22. game — wild animals
  23. club — a group
  24. game — a match

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