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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. object — a thing
  5. dip — to sink
  6. spell — a short time
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. cue — a hint
  10. spell — letters
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — in a race
  13. object — an aim
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a signal
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. spell — magic
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pit — a hole
  23. object — to protest
  24. temple — side of the head

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