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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 120 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — to fit
  3. stock — goods
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pit — in a race
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. dip — to sink
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. deal — to handle
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. suit — clothes
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. wax — to grow
  20. pit — a hole
  21. stock — shares
  22. pound — a weight
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. pound — for dogs

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