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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. race — humankind
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. squash — the sport
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. present — a gift
  8. track — a song
  9. squash — to crush
  10. ground — the earth
  11. race — the arms race
  12. track — to keep track
  13. swing — in golf
  14. present — there
  15. ground — crushed
  16. swing — to play on
  17. track — a path
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. present — the time now
  22. ground — a position
  23. race — a contest
  24. squash — the vegetable

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