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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 120 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: bass · stem · squash · key · cell · cabinet · stock · temple

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. key — for a lock
  3. squash — the sport
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. key — in music
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stock — goods
  9. bass — low music
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. stock — shares
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bass — the fish
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. cell — a phone

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