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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. toast — bread
  3. cap — a hat
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. cap — of ice
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pound — a weight
  11. stock — goods
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. sharp — clever
  18. stock — shares
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. cap — a lid
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. temple — a place of worship

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