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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
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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: temple · bass · game · mug · cell · leaves · key · track

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. cell — a phone
  3. bass — low music
  4. key — in music
  5. track — a path
  6. cell — in biology
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. game — wild animals
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. mug — to rob
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — a cup
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. game — a match
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. track — a song
  24. bass — the fish

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