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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. club — a group
  4. pitch — completely
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. stock — shares
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. club — for golf
  10. craft — a skill
  11. stock — goods
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — to point toward
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. face — part of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. dip — to sink
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. temple — side of the head

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