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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. court — for sport
  3. race — a contest
  4. race — humankind
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. chest — of your body
  7. race — the arms race
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. court — of a king
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — all right
  12. court — of law
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. chest — of your body
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. chest — a box
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. foot — a measure
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. nail — on a finger

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