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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: ball · chip · pop · pitch · temple · stock · craft · trunk

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. pop — to visit
  8. craft — boats
  9. chip — for betting
  10. pop — music
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. craft — a skill
  13. stock — goods
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. stock — shares
  16. chip — to eat
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. pop — soda
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a dance
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. pitch — completely
  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