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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: stock · jam · net · temple · leaves · squash · drill · chip

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — shares
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. chip — to eat
  11. squash — the sport
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. squash — to crush
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. chip — for betting
  17. net — after costs
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. net — for catching
  21. drill — a practice
  22. net — in sport
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. drill — the tool

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