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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
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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: mouse · tube · temple · track · sharp · bass · stock · roll

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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 cake
  3. track — to keep track
  4. sharp — clever
  5. track — a song
  6. stock — shares
  7. bass — the fish
  8. stock — goods
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. track — a path
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. tube — the underground
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. tube — a container
  21. roll — a list
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. sharp — exactly

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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