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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: temple · stem · game · stock · leaves · jam · safe · hand

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. game — wild animals
  7. stem — to come from
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. game — a match
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. hand — help
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — shares
  24. safe — out of danger

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