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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: sharp · land · key · net · straw · track · mark · temple

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. track — a song
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. net — in sport
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. key — for a lock
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. net — for catching
  11. track — a path
  12. land — ground
  13. land — a country
  14. key — the most important part
  15. sharp — clever
  16. mark — a trace
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. mark — a grade
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. land — to come down
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. key — in music
  24. net — after costs

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