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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: deal · pitcher · date · stock · pit · rest · temple · toast

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. deal — to handle
  6. stock — shares
  7. toast — bread
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. date — the fruit
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a hole
  19. stock — goods
  20. rest — a break
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. deal — an agreement

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