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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bank — for money
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. field — a subject
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. wake — a trail
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — goods
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. field — for sport
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — low music
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. field — farmland
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. sharp — clever

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