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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — a break
  6. stock — goods
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. stock — shares
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. present — a gift
  12. fall — the season
  13. present — the time now
  14. toast — bread
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. tube — the underground
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. fall — to drop
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. tube — a container
  21. present — there
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bat — the animal
  24. fall — to drop

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