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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: branch · stock · game · spell · mouse · temple · fan · file

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. stock — shares
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. stock — goods
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. file — a tool
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. spell — magic
  11. game — wild animals
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. file — a document
  19. game — a match
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — a short time
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. file — a line of people

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