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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. root — of a word
  5. court — of law
  6. club — for dancing
  7. court — of a king
  8. saw — the tool
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. tube — a container
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. stock — shares
  13. club — a group
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. club — for golf
  17. root — of a plant
  18. saw — the tool
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. tube — the underground
  22. root — the cause
  23. court — for sport
  24. stock — goods

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