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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: tube · rock · date · snap · march · temple · stock · fan

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — the underground
  3. date — the fruit
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. march — the month
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — music
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. stock — goods
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. march — the month
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. march — music
  21. stock — shares
  22. snap — to click
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. temple — a place of worship

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