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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 116 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: degree · shower · pitcher · cabinet · club · stock · mark · game

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. club — for dancing
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. shower — rain
  5. degree — temperature
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. mark — a grade
  12. game — wild animals
  13. stock — goods
  14. club — a group
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. game — a match
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. degree — from a university
  20. shower — to wash
  21. club — for golf
  22. degree — an amount
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — to pay attention

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