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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. ground — crushed
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. cue — for pool
  7. ground — a position
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. ground — the earth
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. cue — a signal
  20. stock — goods
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cue — a hint
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. stock — shares

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