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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: drill · sharp · temple · foot · rash · race · club · racket

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rash — a series
  4. race — the arms race
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. drill — army training
  9. club — for dancing
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. rash — hasty
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — a practice
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for golf
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. race — humankind
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. race — a contest
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. foot — a measure

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