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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: temple · firm · key · patient · perch · track · pop · kick

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. track — to keep track
  3. firm — a company
  4. pop — soda
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. firm — decided
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. track — a song
  9. key — for a lock
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. perch — the fish
  13. pop — music
  14. key — in music
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. firm — steady
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. track — a path
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. key — the most important part
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — in football

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