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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: stock · charge · land · bay · temple · root · bass · fork

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. bass — the fish
  3. land — to come down
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. charge — in control
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bass — low music
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. land — ground
  12. charge — a price
  13. root — of a word
  14. land — a country
  15. fork — in a road
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. charge — electricity
  18. stock — shares
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a plant
  23. stock — goods
  24. temple — side of the head

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