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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: roll · object · tube · track · scale · wound · temple · row

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. track — a path
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. scale — in music
  5. object — an aim
  6. track — a song
  7. tube — a container
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. scale — size or range
  10. roll — a cake
  11. tube — the underground
  12. wound — an injury
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. row — a line
  16. row — to paddle
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. object — to protest
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. object — a thing
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. wound — an injury
  23. roll — a list
  24. row — a quarrel

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