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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: temple · tube · racket · pit · track · rash · key · face

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. face — to confront
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. key — for a lock
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. rash — hasty
  9. track — a path
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. key — in music
  12. tube — the underground
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. track — to keep track
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. rash — a series
  18. tube — a container
  19. face — part of the head
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. key — the most important part
  22. face — to point toward
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pit — in a race

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