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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: pitcher · race · temple · racket · rock · degree · prune · rest

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rest — what's left
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. degree — temperature
  11. race — humankind
  12. degree — from a university
  13. rest — what's left
  14. degree — an amount
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rest — a break
  20. race — a contest
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rock — music

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