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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: shower · ruler · bore · craft · stock · bat · key · game

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bat — the animal
  6. stock — goods
  7. shower — rain
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. key — the most important part
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. craft — boats
  13. bore — to drill
  14. game — a match
  15. shower — to wash
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. key — in music
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. key — for a lock
  20. craft — a skill
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. game — wild animals

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