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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bound — tied together
  5. cap — a lid
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — to confront
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — obliged
  11. chip — to eat
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. cap — of ice
  14. kick — in football
  15. cap — a hat
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. face — part of the head
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. stock — goods
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. temple — side of the head

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