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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: game · pitch · spell · ball · face · temple · race · tube

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. race — a contest
  3. ball — a dance
  4. spell — letters
  5. race — humankind
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. tube — the underground
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. ball — a great time
  11. face — to point toward
  12. tube — a container
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — part of the head
  16. spell — magic
  17. game — a match
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. race — the arms race
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. spell — a short time
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. pitch — completely

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