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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. shower — rain
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. content — the amount
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. fork — in a road
  10. content — happy
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. stock — goods
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. stock — shares

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