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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: track · leaves · tear · court · craft · temple · stock · pass

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. track — a song
  3. court — of law
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. tear — from crying
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. track — a path
  9. stock — shares
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. track — to keep track
  12. tear — to rip
  13. pass — a permit
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. tear — from crying
  16. court — of a king
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a skill
  21. stock — goods
  22. court — for sport
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. craft — a handicraft

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