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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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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: wind · track · racket · temple · pit · ruler · spring · fine

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. spring — the season
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. track — a path
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pit — a hole
  8. wind — moving air
  9. fine — high quality
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. fine — all right
  13. pit — in a race
  14. wind — moving air
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. spring — of water
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. spring — a coil
  23. track — to keep track
  24. ruler — for measuring

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