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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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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: bat · march · mark · temple · firm · patient · track · deal

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. track — to keep track
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. track — a song
  10. deal — to handle
  11. firm — steady
  12. bat — the animal
  13. march — music
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. track — a path
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. mark — a grade
  21. firm — decided
  22. firm — a company
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

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