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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: present · lean · pass · temple · track · bat · cap · fine

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. pass — a permit
  6. track — a song
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. present — there
  11. track — to keep track
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bat — the animal
  14. present — a gift
  15. cap — of ice
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — a hat
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. fine — all right
  24. present — the time now

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