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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: band · roll · degree · temple · chip · stand · snap · stock

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. roll — a list
  5. band — a ring
  6. degree — from a university
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. band — a music group
  9. degree — an amount
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chip — to eat
  12. stand — to bear
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. snap — to click
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. degree — temperature
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. stock — shares
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. chip — for betting
  23. stock — goods
  24. roll — a cake

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