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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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468
Word bank
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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. kid — to tease
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. date — the fruit
  11. pitch — completely
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — shares
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. game — wild animals
  17. kid — child
  18. bulb — for light
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bulb — for light
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. safe — out of danger

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