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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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Word bank
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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: stock · march · date · wind · stick · temple

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stock — shares
  6. march — music
  7. stock — goods
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wind — moving air
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wind — moving air
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. march — the month
  17. march — the month
  18. date — the fruit

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