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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: track · temple · suit · mouse · last · sharp · pitch · rush

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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 — to keep track
  2. track — a path
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pitch — completely
  5. last — finally
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. last — final
  9. track — a song
  10. suit — clothes
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rush — hurry
  14. suit — to fit
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. last — to go on
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. suit — in cards
  22. sharp — clever
  23. mouse — the animal
  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