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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: bass · track · sharp · stock · stand · bear · temple · prune

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. stock — shares
  7. track — a song
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. prune — to trim
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — low music
  13. bear — the animal
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. stand — to bear
  21. prune — to trim
  22. sharp — clever
  23. stock — goods
  24. track — a path

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