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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
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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: ball · temple · mate · stock · craft · bowl · bore · chest

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. ball — a great time
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. mate — a partner
  8. chest — a box
  9. chest — of your body
  10. stock — goods
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. craft — boats
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bore — to drill
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bore — to tire
  18. mate — a friend
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. stock — shares
  21. mate — to breed
  22. ball — a dance
  23. chest — of your body
  24. craft — a handicraft

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