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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.

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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: current · temple · squash · deal · swing · scale · wake · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. current — of water
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. current — happening now
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — in music
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. race — the arms race
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. swing — music
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. swing — in golf
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. current — electric
  18. deal — to handle
  19. squash — the sport
  20. swing — to play on
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wake — a trail
  23. squash — to crush
  24. race — a contest

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