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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: bark · bass · cold · stock · racket · deal · foot · temple

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bass — the fish
  8. foot — a measure
  9. stock — shares
  10. bass — low music
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. cold — an illness
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — to shout
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. stock — goods
  24. cold — not warm

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