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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
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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: cap · temple · rock · squash · hand · stock · pitcher · wind

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. cap — a hat
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the sport
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. stock — shares
  11. hand — help
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. stock — goods
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — of ice
  20. wind — moving air
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. hand — in cards
  23. rock — music
  24. wind — moving air

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