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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — a hole
  8. stock — shares
  9. mate — a friend
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. spring — of water
  15. stock — goods
  16. mate — to breed
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pit — in a race
  19. mate — a partner
  20. spring — a coil
  21. rock — music
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. spring — the season

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