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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. game — wild animals
  4. scale — size or range
  5. stock — goods
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. stock — shares
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. key — the most important part
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. key — in music
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. row — to paddle
  17. game — a match
  18. row — a line
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mug — a cup
  21. key — for a lock
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. mug — a face
  24. scale — in music

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