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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: stick · board · hand · stock · deal · pop · temple · ball

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. hand — help
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. ball — a dance
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. board — to get on
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. ball — a great time
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. board — a committee
  12. pop — to visit
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. deal — to handle
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stock — shares
  20. pop — soda
  21. stock — goods
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. pop — music
  24. hand — in cards

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