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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 116 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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. stock — goods
  3. can — a tin
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. shower — rain
  6. shower — to wash
  7. chair — a leader
  8. can — a tin
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. scale — size or range
  12. degree — from a university
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — to visit
  16. stock — shares
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — temperature
  19. scale — in music
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. can — to be able to
  22. pop — soda
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. stock — a soup base

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