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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.

Make a worksheet

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: track · scale · temple · snap · bowl · stem · court · spell

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. spell — magic
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. track — a path
  8. track — to keep track
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. spell — letters
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — for sport
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. spell — a short time
  21. track — a song
  22. court — of law
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. temple — a place of worship

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