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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 · land · mate · bass · stem · board · ruler · temple

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bass — low music
  7. board — a committee
  8. land — a country
  9. land — to come down
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. mate — to breed
  12. race — humankind
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stem — to come from
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. land — ground
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. mate — a partner
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. board — to get on
  22. race — a contest
  23. race — the arms race
  24. mate — a friend

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