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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — shares
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. key — in music
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. key — for a lock
  9. mate — a friend
  10. key — the most important part
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. firm — a company
  13. pound — a weight
  14. object — to protest
  15. kid — to tease
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — decided
  18. object — a thing
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. kid — child
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a partner
  24. object — an aim

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