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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. pop — soda
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pop — to visit
  5. lie — to recline
  6. stock — shares
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. squash — the sport
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. vault — a safe
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. pop — music
  15. season — in sport
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. squash — to crush
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. season — of the year
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. squash — the vegetable

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