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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. pit — a hole
  3. toast — bread
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. roll — a list
  12. pit — in a race
  13. rule — a law
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. dip — to sink
  18. stock — shares
  19. rule — government
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. stock — goods
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. roll — a cake

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