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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. date — the fruit
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. chip — for betting
  5. shower — to wash
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. shower — rain
  8. fall — to drop
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. saw — the tool
  11. can — a tin
  12. hand — help
  13. chip — to eat
  14. stock — goods
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. hand — in cards
  17. can — a tin
  18. fall — the season
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stock — shares
  23. can — to be able to
  24. saw — the tool

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