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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: deal · track · field · stand · bowl · degree · stock · temple

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. track — a song
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. stock — shares
  8. degree — from a university
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. degree — an amount
  12. stock — goods
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. field — for sport
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. deal — to handle
  17. field — farmland
  18. stand — to bear
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. degree — temperature
  21. track — to keep track
  22. field — a subject
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. track — a path

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