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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.

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: stock · temple · bowl · straw · shower · charge · cabinet · degree

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — shares
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. charge — electricity
  7. stock — goods
  8. degree — temperature
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. degree — from a university
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. degree — an amount
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. charge — in control
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. charge — a price
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. shower — rain
  24. shower — to wash

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