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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: bass · content · mate · track · bear · pop · temple · coach

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bass — low music
  7. pop — to visit
  8. track — to keep track
  9. pop — music
  10. mate — a friend
  11. pop — soda
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bear — the animal
  18. track — a path
  19. content — the amount
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bear — the animal
  22. content — happy
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bass — the fish

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