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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: temple · content · track · drill · bulb · ruler · pop · hand

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. track — a path
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — help
  8. content — happy
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. pop — to visit
  11. drill — army training
  12. pop — music
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. content — the amount
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. drill — a practice
  22. pop — soda
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a song

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