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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 · pound · jam · lash · date · stock · board · rule

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — a weight
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — the fruit
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. stock — goods
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. stock — shares
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a committee
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. rule — a law
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. rule — government

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