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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: mine · rest · deal · rush · cap · temple · court · race

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cap — a lid
  4. court — of law
  5. race — humankind
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rest — what's left
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of a king
  10. race — the arms race
  11. race — a contest
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. rest — a break
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. rush — hurry
  20. mine — for digging
  21. cap — of ice
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. cap — a hat

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