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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: game · temple · cap · ball · foot · race · root · season

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. season — of the year
  4. game — a match
  5. root — of a word
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. cap — a hat
  8. race — the arms race
  9. race — humankind
  10. root — of a plant
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. cap — a lid
  13. game — wild animals
  14. ball — a great time
  15. race — a contest
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. ball — a dance
  20. season — in sport
  21. root — the cause
  22. foot — a measure
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. cap — of ice

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