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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: toast · hand · pass · bass · court · wax · temple · track

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. track — a song
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. court — of law
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. track — a path
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. pass — a permit
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bass — low music
  13. toast — bread
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bass — the fish
  16. hand — in cards
  17. wax — to grow
  18. hand — help
  19. court — of a king
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. court — for sport
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. bass — the instrument

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