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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: root · stock · firm · club · temple · hide · bowl · rest

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. root — of a word
  3. club — for golf
  4. firm — decided
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. firm — a company
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. club — a group
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. club — for dancing
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. root — the cause
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — goods
  23. root — of a plant
  24. hide — to keep secret

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