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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: bank · race · wax · rule · temple · ground · suit · pitch

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. race — humankind
  6. bank — of a river
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — a position
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bank — for money
  12. rule — government
  13. bank — for money
  14. rule — a law
  15. suit — in cards
  16. pitch — completely
  17. suit — to fit
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. race — the arms race
  20. ground — crushed
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. race — a contest
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. wax — to grow

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