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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: track · squash · stock · temple · fan · racket · press · bowl

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. track — a path
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. track — to keep track
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. press — a publisher
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — goods
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. press — newspapers
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. track — a song
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. press — to push

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