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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
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: scale · bore · pound · temple · cold · jam · stock · charge

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. cold — an illness
  4. stock — shares
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. cold — not warm
  10. pound — a weight
  11. charge — in control
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — to drill
  14. scale — in music
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. stock — goods
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. charge — a price
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. charge — electricity
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. scale — size or range

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