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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. cell — a phone
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. plane — a tool
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stock — shares
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. stock — goods
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. cell — in biology
  18. pitcher — in baseball

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