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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — part of the head
  5. stock — goods
  6. drill — a practice
  7. pitch — completely
  8. stock — shares
  9. drill — army training
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. toast — bread
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cap — of ice
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. drill — the tool
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. cap — a hat
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. face — to confront
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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