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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. kick — in football
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. stock — shares
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — to crush
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. track — to keep track
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. track — a path
  22. stock — goods
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. temple — a place of worship

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