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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. field — a subject
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. court — of a king
  6. field — farmland
  7. can — a tin
  8. race — humankind
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of law
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. race — a contest
  15. can — to be able to
  16. field — for sport
  17. can — a tin
  18. sharp — clever

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