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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: vault · temple · pop · bear · date · stock

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pop — music
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. vault — a safe
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pop — to visit
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. stock — goods
  11. pop — soda
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. date — the fruit
  16. bear — the animal
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. stock — shares

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