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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. scale — in music
  3. track — to keep track
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. track — a song
  6. stock — shares
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. scale — size or range
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. wax — to grow
  11. track — a path
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. stock — goods
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. foot — a measure
  24. stock — a soup base

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