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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: kick · tube · temple · pitch · fine · race · straw · cell

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. tube — the underground
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — a phone
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. fine — all right
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. race — humankind
  19. fine — high quality
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. race — a contest
  23. pitch — completely
  24. tube — a container

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