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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: mate · ball · saw · bound · ground · fan · race · temple

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — the earth
  4. saw — the tool
  5. race — humankind
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — to breed
  8. ball — a great time
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bound — obliged
  16. saw — the tool
  17. race — a contest
  18. race — the arms race
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — tied together
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. ball — a dance
  24. mate — a partner

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