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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. pit — a hole
  5. ball — a great time
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. toast — bread
  8. pit — in a race
  9. ball — a dance
  10. scale — in music
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. field — farmland
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. field — a subject
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. stock — shares
  20. field — for sport
  21. stock — goods
  22. scale — size or range
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. ball — a round shape

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