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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: nail · race · perch · pit · temple · cap · arm · bowl

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. cap — a hat
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — a contest
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. pit — in a race
  20. cap — of ice
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. perch — the fish
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. cap — a lid

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