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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: chip · cap · bank · temple · stick · stock · field · shower

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. field — a subject
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. bank — of a river
  5. field — farmland
  6. shower — to wash
  7. chip — to eat
  8. cap — a hat
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. stock — goods
  12. chip — for betting
  13. field — for sport
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. stock — shares
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cap — of ice
  19. shower — rain
  20. cap — a lid
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bank — for money
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. temple — a place of worship

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