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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 · chair · spring · stock · object · bay · pound · date

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. spring — a coil
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — an aim
  10. stock — shares
  11. pound — a weight
  12. spring — the season
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. spring — of water
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. chair — a leader
  22. object — a thing
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. stock — goods

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