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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
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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: temple · wax · scale · drill · land · pit · band · track

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. drill — the tool
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. track — a song
  6. pit — a hole
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. land — ground
  9. track — to keep track
  10. drill — army training
  11. band — a music group
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. scale — in music
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. land — a country
  17. pit — in a race
  18. wax — to grow
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — size or range
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. track — a path
  23. drill — a practice
  24. band — a ring

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