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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bank — for money
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bank — for money
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cap — a lid
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. cap — of ice
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stock — shares
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cap — a hat
  17. pound — a weight
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. bank — of a river
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. stock — goods
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pit — a hole

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