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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. present — the time now
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. fine — high quality
  7. present — a gift
  8. stock — shares
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. fine — all right
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. prune — to trim
  20. stock — goods
  21. present — there
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. mouse — for a computer

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