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

Word bank: squash · ground · race · pound · temple · ruler

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. squash — to crush
  3. ground — crushed
  4. race — a contest
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ground — the earth
  7. race — humankind
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pound — a weight
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. race — the arms race
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ground — a position

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