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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. stock — goods
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — in golf
  5. race — the arms race
  6. toast — bread
  7. race — a contest
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. press — a publisher
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. race — humankind
  12. swing — to play on
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stock — shares
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. press — newspapers
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — to eat
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. press — to push
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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