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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bore · kid · net · rock · leaves · present · stock

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — for catching
  3. present — there
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. present — the time now
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bore — to tire
  12. rock — a stone
  13. kid — to tease
  14. stock — goods
  15. rock — music
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. kid — child
  19. bore — to drill
  20. present — a gift
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. net — after costs

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