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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: mug · press · temple · tube · foot · fan · bowl · track

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. mug — to rob
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. press — newspapers
  11. tube — the underground
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mug — a cup
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. tube — a container
  16. foot — a measure
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mug — a face
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a path
  23. press — to push
  24. tube — in a tire

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