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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.

Make a worksheet

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: lean · stock · temple · mine · ball · foot

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. ball — a dance
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. foot — a measure
  6. ball — a great time
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. lean — thin
  10. stock — goods
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. stock — shares
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. lean — to bend
  18. mine — belonging to me

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