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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: march · court · cap · pop · race · safe · stem · temple

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. cap — a hat
  3. court — of a king
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. court — for sport
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. race — a contest
  9. race — humankind
  10. march — the month
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pop — to visit
  16. court — of law
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. cap — a lid
  19. race — the arms race
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cap — of ice
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. pop — music
  24. stem — to come from

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