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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: cabinet · stock · temple · mug · hand · present · mark · game

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. mark — a grade
  3. hand — help
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mug — to rob
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. stock — shares
  14. present — there
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. game — a match
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. hand — in cards
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. game — wild animals
  21. present — a gift
  22. mug — a cup
  23. present — the time now
  24. mug — a face

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