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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 · pop · date · cap · club · staff · race · wound

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pop — to visit
  4. club — for dancing
  5. pop — soda
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. cap — of ice
  8. staff — employees
  9. cap — a hat
  10. pop — music
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. race — humankind
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. staff — a stick
  16. date — the fruit
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. staff — employees
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — a group
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. wound — an injury
  23. cap — a lid
  24. race — a contest

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