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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: march · rush · cap · rock · temple · stock · game · shower

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. shower — to wash
  7. game — a match
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. stock — goods
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cap — a hat
  13. game — wild animals
  14. cap — a lid
  15. rock — music
  16. shower — rain
  17. march — the month
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. stock — shares
  20. rush — hurry
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. cap — of ice

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