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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — an aim
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. game — wild animals
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — crushed
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. firm — steady
  12. game — a match
  13. firm — a company
  14. object — to protest
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. firm — decided
  17. stand — to bear
  18. ground — the earth
  19. mate — a friend
  20. stock — shares
  21. mate — a partner
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stock — goods
  24. mate — to breed

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