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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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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 · snap · present · content · stock · foot · fork · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  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. stand — to bear
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. foot — a measure
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. fork — in a road
  9. content — the amount
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — there
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. content — happy
  15. stock — shares
  16. snap — to click
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. present — a gift
  23. content — videos and posts
  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