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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. snap — to click
  3. dip — to sink
  4. stock — goods
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. ball — a dance
  7. stock — shares
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. race — a contest
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. key — for a lock
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. race — the arms race
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. race — humankind
  21. key — in music
  22. key — the most important part
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. ball — a round shape

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