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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: temple · stock · calf · pitch · stick · roll · capital · plane

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. roll — a list
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. stock — goods
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. capital — money
  15. stock — shares
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. capital — a city
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. roll — a cake
  21. pitch — completely
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pitch — a sports field

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