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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: drill · craft · roll · ruler · charge · shower · field · stock

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  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. charge — a price
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. roll — a cake
  5. roll — a list
  6. shower — to wash
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. charge — in control
  11. drill — a practice
  12. stock — shares
  13. drill — the tool
  14. field — a subject
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. drill — army training
  18. craft — boats
  19. field — farmland
  20. craft — a skill
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. field — for sport
  23. charge — electricity
  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