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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: temple · court · dip · sharp · racket · race · rest · game

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. race — the arms race
  3. game — a match
  4. court — of a king
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. court — of law
  7. race — humankind
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. sharp — clever
  11. rest — what's left
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. dip — to sink
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. race — a contest
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. court — for sport
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. racket — for tennis

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