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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. spring — a coil
  3. stock — shares
  4. mate — to breed
  5. spring — the season
  6. race — the arms race
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. rash — hasty
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. spring — of water
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. race — a contest
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. rash — a series
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mate — a friend
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. race — humankind
  24. mate — a partner

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