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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 · stand · game · temple · cabinet · current · fork · race

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. board — to get on
  3. race — humankind
  4. game — a match
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. current — electric
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — in a road
  10. current — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stand — to bear
  15. race — a contest
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. board — a committee
  22. game — wild animals
  23. race — the arms race
  24. game — a kind of play

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