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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 · dip · stock · prune · sharp · racket · hide · bound

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stock — goods
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — certain
  9. sharp — clever
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bound — tied together
  15. dip — to sink
  16. prune — to trim
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. stock — shares
  24. prune — to trim

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