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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: game · present · fine · stock · bear · temple · wax · rock

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — high quality
  3. rock — a stone
  4. wax — to grow
  5. present — there
  6. rock — music
  7. bear — the animal
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. present — a gift
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stock — shares
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. game — a match
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. fine — all right
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. stock — goods
  22. game — wild animals
  23. present — the time now
  24. rock — to move gently

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