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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: pitcher · board · stock · temple · roll · stem · pit · current

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. roll — a cake
  6. current — electric
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. current — happening now
  9. board — a committee
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. stock — goods
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. board — to get on
  16. stock — shares
  17. pit — a hole
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. stem — to come from
  20. roll — a list
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. current — of water
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pit — in a race

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