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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  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 — shares
  2. lean — thin
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — goods
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bat — the animal
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bear — the animal
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. suit — in cards
  15. track — a path
  16. track — a song
  17. suit — to fit
  18. foot — a measure
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. lean — to rest against
  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