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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. cell — a phone
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bat — the animal
  10. mate — a friend
  11. suit — clothes
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. stock — goods
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. suit — in cards
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. stock — shares
  20. toast — bread
  21. mate — to breed
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. cell — in biology

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