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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: race · swing · coach · mark · temple · tube · tear · bass

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. tube — the underground
  3. race — a contest
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bass — the fish
  10. race — humankind
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. swing — music
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. tear — to rip
  16. mark — a grade
  17. tear — from crying
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. mark — a trace
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. race — the arms race
  22. tear — from crying
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. swing — to play on

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