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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: perch · chip · ground · pass · temple · bass · foot · stock

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. stock — shares
  3. foot — a measure
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. chip — to eat
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. stock — goods
  10. ground — the earth
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bass — the fish
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. chip — for betting
  17. pass — a permit
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. ground — crushed
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. ground — a position
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. bass — the instrument

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