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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: bat · ground · scale · lean · mug · stem · temple · track

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. ground — a position
  4. track — to keep track
  5. mug — a cup
  6. scale — in music
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. mug — to rob
  11. lean — to bend
  12. track — a song
  13. ground — crushed
  14. track — a path
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. scale — size or range
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bat — the animal
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. lean — thin
  23. mug — a face
  24. scale — for weighing

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