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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 120 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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. key — the most important part
  5. can — a tin
  6. key — in music
  7. stock — goods
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. stock — shares
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rest — a break
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. can — a tin
  15. stem — to come from
  16. rest — what's left
  17. key — for a lock
  18. chip — to eat
  19. can — to be able to
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. rest — what's left
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. chip — for betting

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