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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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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: stock · key · firm · perch · cell · temple · kick · mate

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. perch — the fish
  6. stock — shares
  7. kick — in football
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cell — in biology
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. firm — decided
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. firm — steady
  15. stock — goods
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. key — in music
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mate — a friend
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. firm — a company
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — the most important part
  24. cell — in a prison

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