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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: stock · game · sharp · row · fall · bay · temple · date

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. game — a match
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. stock — shares
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. fall — to drop
  11. sharp — clever
  12. stock — goods
  13. row — a line
  14. fall — the season
  15. date — the fruit
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. row — to paddle
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. game — wild animals
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. sharp — with an edge

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