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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: fine · file · temple · stock · rock · bowl · shower · drill

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. fine — high quality
  4. file — a line of people
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. stock — goods
  9. file — a document
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. drill — the tool
  13. fine — all right
  14. file — a tool
  15. shower — to wash
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. shower — rain
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. stock — shares
  23. drill — a practice
  24. drill — army training

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