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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: race · rush · field · temple · suit · lean · date · club

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. race — the arms race
  3. lean — thin
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. field — for sport
  7. race — a contest
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. suit — clothes
  10. lean — to bend
  11. race — humankind
  12. date — the fruit
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — a subject
  15. rush — hurry
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. suit — in cards
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. club — for dancing
  21. suit — to fit
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — a group

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