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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
468
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: squash · stem · track · present · temple · mark · ball · cold

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. present — the time now
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. cold — not warm
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a dance
  13. present — there
  14. cold — an illness
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. present — a gift
  17. mark — a trace
  18. track — a path
  19. mark — a grade
  20. stem — to come from
  21. squash — to crush
  22. track — to keep track
  23. squash — the sport
  24. temple — side of the head

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