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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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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: hide · pit · race · temple · ground · fork · racket · mouse

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pit — in a race
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. race — a contest
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fork — in a road
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. race — humankind
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. ground — crushed
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. race — the arms race
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — the earth
  24. hide — to keep secret

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