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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: rock · content · press · shower · toast · stock

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — the amount
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. rock — music
  7. toast — bread
  8. shower — to wash
  9. rock — a stone
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. content — happy
  12. press — newspapers
  13. shower — rain
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. press — a publisher
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — shares
  18. toast — a drink to someone

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