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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. stock — shares
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. club — a group
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. cap — of ice
  13. lean — to bend
  14. club — for golf
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. stock — goods
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. cap — a hat
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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