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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: leaves · race · court · temple · squash · plane · racket · mate

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — humankind
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. plane — a tool
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. mate — a partner
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. court — for sport
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. squash — to crush
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a friend
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. court — of law
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. race — the arms race
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. squash — the sport
  24. court — of a king

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