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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.

Make a worksheet

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: trunk · stock · pitcher · stick · mug · vault · bowl · shower

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. mug — a face
  4. stock — goods
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. vault — a safe
  9. stock — shares
  10. mug — to rob
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mug — a cup
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. shower — rain
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. pitcher — a jug

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