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

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. charge — electricity
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stock — goods
  10. spell — a short time
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — letters
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — a price
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. trunk — of a car

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