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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. deal — to handle
  4. board — to get on
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — music
  8. club — a group
  9. board — a committee
  10. stock — shares
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. pop — soda
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. club — for golf
  18. degree — an amount
  19. club — for dancing
  20. degree — from a university
  21. stock — goods
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. degree — temperature
  24. board — a flat piece

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