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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: face · stock · bore · cap · track · mark · cabinet · shower

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. stock — shares
  3. bore — to tire
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cap — a hat
  9. mark — a trace
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. cap — of ice
  12. face — part of the head
  13. stock — goods
  14. shower — rain
  15. bore — to drill
  16. track — a song
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. face — to point toward
  19. track — a path
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. face — to confront
  22. shower — to wash
  23. mark — a grade
  24. track — to keep track

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