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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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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: temple · pound · race · plane · foot · row · racket · can

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. can — a tin
  3. pound — a weight
  4. race — humankind
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. row — to paddle
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. plane — a tool
  11. row — a line
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. can — a tin
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. race — a contest
  22. can — to be able to
  23. race — the arms race
  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