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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: track · temple · land · band · ground · cap · chest · mouse

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. chest — of your body
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. cap — a lid
  7. band — a music group
  8. ground — a position
  9. band — a ring
  10. land — ground
  11. track — to keep track
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. land — a country
  14. ground — the earth
  15. chest — a box
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. land — to come down
  18. cap — of ice
  19. chest — of your body
  20. track — a path
  21. cap — a hat
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. ground — crushed
  24. mouse — the animal

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