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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: board · pitcher · cap · deal · race · land · temple · straw

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. deal — to handle
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. cap — a lid
  6. race — a contest
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — to get on
  10. land — ground
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. race — the arms race
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. race — humankind
  17. cap — a hat
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. cap — of ice
  23. land — a country
  24. land — to come down

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