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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. mine — for digging
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a dance
  15. lean — to bend
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. game — wild animals
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. stock — goods
  20. foot — a measure
  21. lean — thin
  22. game — a match
  23. stock — shares
  24. foot — the bottom

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