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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: board · stock · firm · mug · wind · track · temple · bowl

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. wind — moving air
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. track — a path
  7. firm — decided
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. track — to keep track
  10. firm — a company
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mug — a cup
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. firm — steady
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. track — a song
  18. board — a committee
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stock — goods
  22. mug — a face
  23. wind — moving air
  24. board — to get on

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