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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of law
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. present — the time now
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. can — a tin
  8. field — a subject
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. race — a contest
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. board — a committee
  13. field — farmland
  14. can — a tin
  15. present — a gift
  16. court — of a king
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — clever
  19. race — the arms race
  20. field — for sport
  21. present — there
  22. board — to get on
  23. race — humankind
  24. can — to be able to

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