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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 120 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. object — a thing
  3. firm — a company
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. race — humankind
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — a contest
  9. firm — decided
  10. stock — goods
  11. firm — steady
  12. object — to protest
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. object — an aim
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. sharp — clever
  22. rush — hurry
  23. stock — shares
  24. sharp — exactly

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