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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: pitcher · ground · pit · cue · temple · chip · stock · shower

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. shower — rain
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — goods
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pit — a hole
  11. ground — the earth
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. cue — a hint
  15. chip — to eat
  16. ground — a position
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. cue — a signal
  19. pit — in a race
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. cue — for pool
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. chip — for betting
  24. ground — crushed

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