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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. pit — in a race
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. fall — to drop
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. stock — goods
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bank — for money
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bank — for money
  14. stock — shares
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. game — a match
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bank — of a river
  21. pitch — completely
  22. game — wild animals
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. fall — the season

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