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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 120 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: field · mate · temple · chip · band · stock · firm · last

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — to eat
  3. band — a ring
  4. stock — goods
  5. field — farmland
  6. field — for sport
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. last — final
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. chip — for betting
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — to breed
  15. field — a subject
  16. stock — shares
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — decided
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. firm — a company
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. last — finally
  23. mate — a partner
  24. last — to go on

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