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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 120 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: game · temple · suit · foot · net · squash · rest · race

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. race — a contest
  4. rest — a break
  5. net — in sport
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. game — wild animals
  10. net — after costs
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. race — the arms race
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. game — a match
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. suit — to fit
  18. race — humankind
  19. rest — what's left
  20. suit — in cards
  21. net — for catching
  22. suit — clothes
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — to crush

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