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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: stock · lie · craft · pitcher · temple · cabinet · mate · charge

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. lie — to recline
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. charge — electricity
  5. craft — a skill
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mate — a friend
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — goods
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. charge — in control
  13. mate — a partner
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mate — to breed
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. charge — a price
  24. pitcher — a jug

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