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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 · key · nail · track · shower · mine · ball · temple

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. shower — rain
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — in music
  5. track — a song
  6. bass — the fish
  7. shower — to wash
  8. bass — low music
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. key — for a lock
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. ball — a great time
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — for digging
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a path
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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