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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. track — to keep track
  6. rule — government
  7. track — a song
  8. mug — a cup
  9. stock — shares
  10. firm — decided
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — a company
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. rule — a law
  16. mug — a face
  17. stock — goods
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mug — to rob
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. track — a path
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. temple — side of the head

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