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

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. race — the arms race
  3. swing — in golf
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. swing — music
  7. net — after costs
  8. race — a contest
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. race — humankind
  12. ball — a dance
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. swing — to play on
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — to come from
  18. net — in sport
  19. scale — size or range
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — a division
  22. scale — in music
  23. ball — a great time
  24. stem — of a plant

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