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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. court — for sport
  5. cue — for pool
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. court — of law
  8. kid — child
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. stock — shares
  11. kid — to tease
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. cue — a hint
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. track — a song
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. court — of a king
  18. stock — goods
  19. ground — a position
  20. track — a path
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. ground — crushed
  23. cue — a signal
  24. track — to keep track

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