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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: season · temple · mouse · staff · stock · squash · wave · ball

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. staff — a stick
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — the sport
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stock — goods
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. squash — to crush
  14. season — of the year
  15. staff — employees
  16. ball — a dance
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. ball — a great time
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. staff — employees
  24. stock — shares

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