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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mouse · present · chair · temple · mine · pop · track · last

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. last — finally
  5. last — to go on
  6. track — a path
  7. mine — for digging
  8. present — a gift
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. present — there
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. track — a song
  16. last — final
  17. pop — soda
  18. present — the time now
  19. pop — music
  20. track — to keep track
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. pop — to visit
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. chair — a professorship

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