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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
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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: rule · current · mine · date · mate · stock · trunk · temple

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. stock — shares
  7. rule — a law
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. current — of water
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. stock — goods
  12. current — happening now
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. current — electric
  16. rule — government
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. date — the fruit
  22. mine — for digging
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. mate — to breed

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