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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 120 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: stock · temple · present · snap · club · drill · ball · saw

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. present — there
  4. snap — to click
  5. club — for golf
  6. drill — army training
  7. club — a group
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — shares
  10. ball — a great time
  11. club — for dancing
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — the time now
  15. drill — a practice
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. drill — the tool
  18. ball — a dance
  19. stock — goods
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. saw — the tool

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