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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. suit — to fit
  3. stock — shares
  4. wound — an injury
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. rush — hurry
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wound — an injury
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — a trace
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bat — the animal
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. stock — goods
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. suit — in cards

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