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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: pit · scale · season · current · temple · bound · track · fall

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bound — tied together
  4. pit — a hole
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bound — obliged
  7. season — in sport
  8. track — a path
  9. bound — certain
  10. fall — the season
  11. track — to keep track
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. pit — in a race
  16. current — of water
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. track — a song
  19. fall — to drop
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. current — electric
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. current — happening now
  24. scale — in music

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