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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: degree · wake · key · track · coach · temple · current · trunk

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  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. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. current — electric
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. current — happening now
  5. track — to keep track
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. track — a path
  9. wake — a trail
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — the most important part
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. track — a song
  15. degree — temperature
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. current — of water
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. key — in music
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. degree — an amount
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. degree — from a university
  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