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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 120 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. rock — a stone
  3. shower — rain
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. mug — a cup
  6. shower — to wash
  7. mug — to rob
  8. hand — help
  9. mug — a face
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — goods
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — for sport
  16. rock — music
  17. squash — to crush
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. squash — the sport
  22. court — of law
  23. rush — hurry
  24. hand — in cards

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