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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: lie · ball · temple · ground · coach · mark · track · land

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. land — to come down
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. mark — a trace
  9. track — a song
  10. lie — to recline
  11. ground — a position
  12. land — ground
  13. mark — a grade
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a dance
  16. land — a country
  17. track — a path
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. track — to keep track
  20. ground — the earth
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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