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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: stock · jam · bound · face · ball · snap · deal · temple

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a dance
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. face — to confront
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. stock — shares
  10. bound — certain
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — goods
  14. deal — to handle
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bound — obliged
  18. face — to point toward
  19. bound — tied together
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. face — part of the head
  22. snap — to click
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. jam — a tight spot

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