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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: ground · temple · pit · race · row · rock · foot · rush

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. rock — a stone
  3. race — a contest
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. row — a line
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. rock — music
  9. race — humankind
  10. rush — hurry
  11. race — the arms race
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. ground — a position
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. row — to paddle
  19. pit — in a race
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. pit — a hole
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. ground — the earth
  24. foot — a measure

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