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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  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. toast — the most admired
  2. march — the month
  3. pit — a hole
  4. stock — shares
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. toast — bread
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. staff — employees
  12. stock — goods
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. staff — a stick
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. march — the month
  18. pit — in a race
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. staff — employees
  21. march — music
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. mouse — for a computer
  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