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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — all right
  7. pound — a weight
  8. scale — size or range
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. hand — help
  11. hand — in cards
  12. fine — high quality
  13. race — the arms race
  14. race — humankind
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left
  19. foot — a measure
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. rest — what's left
  24. race — a contest

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