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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 120 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: current · lie · game · temple · scale · degree · land · race

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. race — the arms race
  4. land — to come down
  5. game — wild animals
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. degree — temperature
  8. race — humankind
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. scale — in music
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. current — happening now
  13. land — ground
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. current — electric
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. race — a contest
  18. degree — an amount
  19. current — of water
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. land — a country
  22. degree — from a university
  23. game — a match
  24. scale — size or range

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