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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: firm · stock · temple · pop · can · hide · hand · game

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. pop — music
  3. firm — steady
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. game — wild animals
  7. pop — to visit
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. can — to be able to
  10. stock — shares
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. stock — goods
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. can — a tin
  15. firm — decided
  16. hand — in cards
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. firm — a company
  19. pop — soda
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. game — a match
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. can — a tin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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