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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: ground · temple · mark · bulb · stock · bore · toast · coach

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. bore — to tire
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bulb — for light
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — a trace
  8. ground — a position
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. toast — bread
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. ground — crushed
  16. stock — goods
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. stock — shares
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. ground — the earth
  23. bore — to drill
  24. coach — a trainer

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