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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: lash · race · capital · rush · court · temple · ball · fork

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. court — of law
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. ball — a great time
  8. court — of a king
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. court — for sport
  14. fork — in a road
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. capital — money
  18. capital — a city
  19. race — humankind
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. race — the arms race
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. ball — a dance
  24. rush — hurry

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