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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 120 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: last · temple · scale · dip · can · content · track · drill

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. last — to go on
  3. dip — to sink
  4. can — to be able to
  5. drill — army training
  6. can — a tin
  7. drill — the tool
  8. content — the amount
  9. track — a path
  10. track — to keep track
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — size or range
  13. can — a tin
  14. scale — in music
  15. drill — a practice
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. last — final
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. last — finally
  23. track — a song
  24. content — happy

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