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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: bowl · wake · drill · fork · track · temple · content · band

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — happy
  7. track — to keep track
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. track — a path
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. track — a song
  14. band — a ring
  15. drill — the tool
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. band — a music group
  21. drill — army training
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. fork — in a road

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