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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: temple · ball · bat · toast · mine · cap · jam · stock

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. bat — the animal
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. cap — a hat
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. toast — bread
  16. cap — a lid
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. ball — a great time
  20. stock — shares
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. cap — of ice
  23. mine — for digging
  24. stock — goods

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