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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: mine · arm · pound · cell · key · temple · club · track

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. key — the most important part
  11. club — a group
  12. key — in music
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. key — for a lock
  16. track — to keep track
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. track — a song
  19. pound — a weight
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. club — for dancing
  22. mine — for digging
  23. club — for golf
  24. temple — a place of worship

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