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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: bear · cap · stock · temple · shower · scale · craft · rash

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rash — hasty
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. cap — a hat
  9. shower — rain
  10. craft — boats
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stock — goods
  13. scale — size or range
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bear — the animal
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. scale — in music
  20. rash — a series
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. craft — a skill
  23. stock — shares
  24. shower — to wash

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