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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.

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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: scale · present · mate · march · lash · temple · track · pit

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  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. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a hole
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. track — a path
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — to breed
  7. scale — in music
  8. mate — a friend
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. present — the time now
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. scale — size or range
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. march — the month
  19. present — there
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a song
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. present — a gift
  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