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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. cue — a signal
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. pop — music
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. present — there
  8. foot — a measure
  9. cue — a hint
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. cue — for pool
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. present — the time now
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. stock — shares
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pop — soda
  21. present — a gift
  22. stock — goods
  23. pop — to visit
  24. vault — a safe

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