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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 · jam · chip · scale · stock · bulb · dip · hand

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bulb — for light
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. hand — help
  9. bulb — for light
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. scale — in music
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — goods
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. chip — for betting
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. dip — to sink
  23. chip — to eat
  24. scale — size or range

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