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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 · firm · pitcher · root · mouse · last · jam · stock

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. firm — decided
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. root — of a plant
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. last — finally
  7. last — final
  8. root — of a word
  9. last — to go on
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. root — the cause
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. firm — steady
  19. stock — shares
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stock — goods
  22. firm — a company
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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