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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: temple · cabinet · season · safe · rush · stock · court · prune

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. season — in sport
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. season — of the year
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. court — of law
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. court — of a king
  19. rush — hurry
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. court — for sport

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