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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: roll · fork · race · ground · temple · pitcher · track · mate

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. race — humankind
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. track — a song
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. track — a path
  9. roll — a list
  10. race — the arms race
  11. mate — a partner
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. ground — a position
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. race — a contest
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. mate — a friend
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. ground — the earth
  21. track — to keep track
  22. ground — crushed
  23. fork — in a road
  24. mate — to breed

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