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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: temple · stock · fall · ground · key · firm · rash · mouse

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. stock — shares
  5. firm — a company
  6. rash — hasty
  7. fall — to drop
  8. key — in music
  9. firm — decided
  10. ground — the earth
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. ground — a position
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. rash — a series
  17. key — for a lock
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. key — the most important part
  20. fall — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. ground — crushed
  23. firm — steady
  24. stock — goods

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