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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: foot · prune · row · bowl · temple · mark · chair · stock

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. mark — a trace
  4. row — a line
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. stock — goods
  8. prune — to trim
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. stock — shares
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. mark — a grade
  17. chair — a leader
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. prune — to trim

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