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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. pitch — completely
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. mug — a cup
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mug — a face
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. stock — goods
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cold — not warm
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. pound — a weight
  17. cold — an illness
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. stock — shares
  24. mug — to rob

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