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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 120 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: mine · track · nail · net · temple · bay · content · ruler

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. track — a path
  4. content — the amount
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. content — happy
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. net — in sport
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a song
  13. mine — for digging
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. net — for catching
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. net — after costs
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mine — an explosive

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