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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. drill — a practice
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. chest — of your body
  5. perch — the fish
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. firm — decided
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. stock — goods
  11. bank — for money
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. chest — a box
  15. drill — the tool
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. drill — army training
  18. firm — a company
  19. chest — of your body
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. firm — steady
  22. stock — shares
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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