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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: bay · arm · leaves · bulb · race · temple · ball · net

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. net — in sport
  3. ball — a great time
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. net — after costs
  8. race — humankind
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bulb — for light
  14. race — the arms race
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. net — for catching
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. ball — a dance

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