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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
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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: mug · racket · stock · rush · band · spring · spell · temple

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. band — a ring
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rush — hurry
  8. spell — letters
  9. stock — goods
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. mug — a face
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mug — to rob
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. spring — a coil
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. spring — the season
  18. band — a music group
  19. mug — a cup
  20. spring — of water
  21. stock — shares
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. spell — magic
  24. temple — side of the head

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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