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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: mouse · trunk · stock · ball · temple · bear · leaves · track

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a path
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bear — the animal
  12. track — a song
  13. ball — a great time
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. stock — shares
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. stock — goods
  24. temple — a place of worship

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