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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fine · temple · row · stock · arm · bowl

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. fine — all right
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. stock — goods
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. stock — shares
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. fine — high quality
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — a line
  17. row — to paddle
  18. arm — part of the body

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