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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. row — a line
  5. pop — to visit
  6. current — happening now
  7. stock — goods
  8. toast — bread
  9. pop — soda
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — shares
  14. race — the arms race
  15. pop — music
  16. current — of water
  17. row — to paddle
  18. pass — a permit
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. race — humankind
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. race — a contest
  24. current — electric

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