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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: craft · wave · bowl · stock · chest · cue · deal · temple

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. deal — to handle
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. chest — a box
  8. stock — goods
  9. craft — a skill
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. stock — shares
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. craft — boats
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. chest — of your body
  18. cue — a signal
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. cue — for pool
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. deal — an agreement

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