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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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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: club · scale · temple · object · bay · race · mark · last

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. mark — a trace
  3. scale — in music
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. object — a thing
  6. last — finally
  7. scale — size or range
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. last — final
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. mark — a grade
  12. race — a contest
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. club — for dancing
  15. race — the arms race
  16. race — humankind
  17. object — to protest
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. object — an aim
  23. club — a group
  24. last — to go on

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