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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. stock — goods
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. pop — to visit
  5. ground — the earth
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — to shout
  10. face — to point toward
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. ground — a position
  14. wax — to grow
  15. pop — soda
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. stock — shares
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. ground — crushed
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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