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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: net · mug · plane · chair · temple · stock · dip · rule

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. stock — goods
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to sink
  5. stock — shares
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — a tool
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. net — in sport
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. net — for catching
  15. rule — a law
  16. net — after costs
  17. mug — a face
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — to rob
  21. chair — a leader
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. temple — a place of worship

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