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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 · suit · temple · track · mate · prune · cap · chip

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. mate — a partner
  3. track — a path
  4. track — to keep track
  5. key — in music
  6. cap — of ice
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. key — the most important part
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — to breed
  11. suit — to fit
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. key — for a lock
  14. prune — to trim
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. track — a song
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cap — a lid
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. suit — clothes
  21. chip — to eat
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. chip — for betting
  24. suit — in cards

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