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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: ground · wound · fork · track · temple · scale · cap · jam

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. scale — size or range
  3. cap — a hat
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. fork — in a road
  7. cap — a lid
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. track — a song
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. wound — an injury
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. ground — the earth
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. scale — in music
  17. cap — of ice
  18. ground — crushed
  19. track — a path
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. track — to keep track
  22. wound — an injury
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. fork — a garden tool

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