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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: stock · bass · season · chest · temple · fall · pop · roll

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. pop — music
  4. roll — a list
  5. roll — a cake
  6. stock — goods
  7. season — in sport
  8. bass — the fish
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — low music
  14. chest — of your body
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. pop — to visit
  17. season — of the year
  18. pop — soda
  19. fall — to drop
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — shares
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. chest — of your body
  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