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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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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: ball · bowl · temple · firm · file · bay · perch · stem

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. perch — the fish
  4. stem — to come from
  5. firm — steady
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. file — a document
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. ball — a great time
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. firm — decided
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. file — a tool
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. firm — a company

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