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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 120 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: race · stock · pass · bass · arm · perch · temple · current

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. stock — shares
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. current — of water
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. current — electric
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. race — humankind
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. race — a contest
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bass — low music
  18. stock — goods
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. perch — the fish
  21. current — happening now
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bass — the fish
  24. race — the arms race

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