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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: pound · temple · fine · foot · board · jam · current · race

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. race — a contest
  3. current — electric
  4. fine — high quality
  5. board — a committee
  6. current — happening now
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. fine — all right
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. board — to get on
  15. race — the arms race
  16. race — humankind
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. foot — a measure
  20. current — of water
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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