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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
468
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: fall · stock · deal · wax · jam · mug · pitch · temple

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. stock — shares
  4. fall — the season
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. pitch — completely
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. stock — goods
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. mug — to rob
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — a face
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. fall — to drop
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. deal — to handle
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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