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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. present — the time now
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. stock — goods
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. net — in sport
  10. wake — a trail
  11. present — a gift
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. net — for catching
  17. present — there
  18. perch — the fish
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. pass — a permit
  22. net — after costs
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. pass — to succeed

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