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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: key · perch · cap · temple · dip · bowl · track · chest

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. key — in music
  5. perch — the fish
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. track — a song
  8. key — the most important part
  9. track — a path
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. chest — of your body
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. key — for a lock
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. dip — to sink
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a hat
  24. chest — a box

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