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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.

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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 · nail · temple · jam · mark · bore · content · rash

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bore — to drill
  6. mark — a grade
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. track — a song
  9. rash — hasty
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. track — a path
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bore — to tire
  19. content — happy
  20. content — the amount
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. track — to keep track
  24. rash — a series

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