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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: craft · board · stock · net · ground · temple · stem · mouse

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. stock — goods
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. craft — a skill
  7. stock — shares
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. ground — crushed
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — to get on
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. ground — the earth
  15. net — for catching
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — in sport
  19. ground — a position
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stem — to come from
  23. craft — boats
  24. stem — of a plant

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