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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. spell — magic
  7. mate — a friend
  8. track — to keep track
  9. craft — boats
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. fine — high quality
  17. track — a song
  18. mate — to breed
  19. stock — goods
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. craft — a skill
  22. stock — shares
  23. mate — a partner
  24. spell — letters

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