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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: file · temple · bear · stock · stick · field · swing · pass

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. stock — shares
  3. bear — the animal
  4. swing — music
  5. field — for sport
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. field — farmland
  11. file — a document
  12. swing — to play on
  13. swing — in golf
  14. stock — goods
  15. bear — the animal
  16. file — a tool
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. file — a line of people
  22. field — a subject
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. temple — a place of worship

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