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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
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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 · bowl · chair · temple · stock · rush · saw · cap

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. chair — a leader
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. craft — a skill
  5. stock — goods
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. saw — the tool
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — of ice
  13. craft — boats
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. stock — shares
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. cap — a hat
  24. chair — to sit on

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