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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: foot · bass · nail · tube · temple · degree · staff · track

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. track — a path
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bass — the fish
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. staff — a stick
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. tube — a container
  12. degree — temperature
  13. staff — employees
  14. foot — a measure
  15. degree — from a university
  16. degree — an amount
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. staff — employees
  19. track — a song
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bass — low music
  24. tube — in a tire

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