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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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Word bank
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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: temple · pop · tear · game · club · race

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. pop — music
  4. club — for dancing
  5. pop — soda
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. race — a contest
  8. game — a match
  9. club — for golf
  10. race — humankind
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. game — wild animals
  13. tear — to rip
  14. pop — to visit
  15. tear — from crying
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. race — the arms race
  18. tear — from crying

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