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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 120 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: pit · temple · shower · craft · cap · charge · stock · mine

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. stock — goods
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. cap — a lid
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. pit — a hole
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — in a race
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. craft — boats
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. craft — a skill
  16. stock — shares
  17. charge — electricity
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — in control
  21. shower — to wash
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. cap — of ice
  24. shower — rain

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