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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.

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: race · root · bat · rush · temple · cell · pitcher · bass

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. root — the cause
  3. cell — a phone
  4. bat — the animal
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bass — low music
  8. rush — hurry
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — of a plant
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. race — the arms race
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. race — a contest
  23. race — humankind
  24. temple — a place of worship

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