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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · firm · stock · toast · race · temple · last · fork

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. race — the arms race
  3. rest — what's left
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — shares
  6. rest — what's left
  7. last — to go on
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. race — a contest
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. last — final
  13. firm — decided
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. toast — bread
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. rest — a break
  20. firm — steady
  21. race — humankind
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. firm — a company

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