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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 · key · band · nail · court · track · fine · snap

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a ring
  3. key — in music
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. court — of a king
  6. track — a song
  7. fine — high quality
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. snap — to click
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. key — for a lock
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. track — to keep track
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. court — for sport
  18. key — the most important part
  19. court — of law
  20. fine — all right
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. track — a path
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. band — a rubber band

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