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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fine · race · ground · game · temple · bat · mouse · patient

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. game — a match
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. fine — high quality
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. ground — crushed
  10. race — the arms race
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. ground — a position
  13. bat — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. ground — the earth
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — humankind
  21. game — wild animals
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. temple — side of the head

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