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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: spell · chip · march · track · temple · perch · hand · tube

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. track — a song
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a path
  5. march — the month
  6. hand — in cards
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. spell — letters
  9. chip — for betting
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. march — music
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — help
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. spell — a short time
  17. tube — a container
  18. perch — the fish
  19. march — the month
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. chip — to eat
  22. tube — the underground
  23. spell — magic
  24. tube — in a tire

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