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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: temple · stock · toast · pop · fine · mouse · march · file

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. file — a document
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. file — a tool
  7. march — the month
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. file — a line of people
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — high quality
  12. pop — music
  13. fine — all right
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. toast — bread
  16. stock — shares
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. march — the month
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. march — music
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. stock — goods
  24. pop — to visit

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