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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. cue — for pool
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. stock — goods
  5. foot — a measure
  6. cue — a signal
  7. present — a gift
  8. cold — an illness
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. present — the time now
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. present — there
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. cold — not warm
  19. chair — a leader
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. stock — a soup base

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