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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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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: tube · pop · race · straw · face · temple · racket · board

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. pop — soda
  3. race — humankind
  4. race — a contest
  5. face — part of the head
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. pop — to visit
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. face — to confront
  16. face — to point toward
  17. board — a committee
  18. pop — music
  19. tube — the underground
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. race — the arms race
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. board — to get on
  24. racket — a loud noise

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