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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: pop · bowl · foot · band · wave · stock · march · temple

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — shares
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. band — a music group
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. pop — to visit
  8. march — the month
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. band — a ring
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. march — the month
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. march — music
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. pop — soda
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. pop — music
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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