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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: stock · jam · temple · deal · pitcher · bowl · present · degree

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. degree — from a university
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. present — there
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. degree — an amount
  9. deal — to handle
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. stock — shares
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. present — a gift
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. stock — goods
  22. degree — temperature
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bowl — to roll

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