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

Word bank: cap · pop · bear · temple · cell · race

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. race — a contest
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bear — the animal
  5. race — the arms race
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. cap — a lid
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cap — a hat
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cell — a phone
  14. pop — soda
  15. cell — in biology
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. cap — of ice
  18. race — humankind

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