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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. perch — the fish
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. shower — to wash
  7. mate — a partner
  8. can — a tin
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. cell — in biology
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. stock — goods
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. wake — a trail
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. cell — a phone
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. mate — a friend
  23. shower — rain
  24. mate — to breed

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