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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 · straw · spell · cap · firm · bulb · stock · fine

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. fine — high quality
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bulb — for light
  7. fine — all right
  8. cap — a lid
  9. spell — letters
  10. cap — a hat
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. spell — magic
  15. stock — goods
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bulb — for light
  18. firm — a company
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. cap — of ice
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — decided
  24. stock — a soup base

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