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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
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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 · deal · tube · row · current · bark · cell · stock

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. row — a line
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. current — electric
  6. current — happening now
  7. tube — the underground
  8. deal — to handle
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. tube — a container
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. current — of water
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. cell — in biology
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. stock — goods
  20. row — to paddle
  21. stock — shares
  22. bark — to shout
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cell — a phone

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