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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: ball · bat · temple · bear · stick · race · foot · rule

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. rule — government
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bat — the animal
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bear — the animal
  18. foot — a measure
  19. race — the arms race
  20. rule — a law
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. race — a contest
  24. rule — to rule out

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