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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. game — a match
  3. stand — to bear
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. stock — goods
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. rock — a stone
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — in football
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stock — shares
  13. rock — music
  14. game — wild animals
  15. wound — an injury
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. wound — an injury
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. pitch — completely

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