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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
468
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 · fall · pass · stock · pitch · nail · board · bass

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. pass — a permit
  3. stock — goods
  4. fall — to drop
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. stock — shares
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — low music
  19. pitch — completely
  20. board — a committee
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. board — to get on

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