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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: foot · ground · mark · mug · temple · craft · branch · stock

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. ground — a position
  3. craft — boats
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. foot — a measure
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mug — a face
  8. stock — shares
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. ground — crushed
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. stock — goods
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. mug — a cup
  19. ground — the earth
  20. craft — a skill
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. branch — a division
  24. mark — a grade

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