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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 120 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 · temple · court · mark · track · club · pitcher · pop

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. scale — size or range
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — music
  6. mark — a grade
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. club — for dancing
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. court — of a king
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. club — a group
  15. court — of law
  16. club — for golf
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a song
  19. track — a path
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a trace
  22. pop — to visit
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. scale — in music

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