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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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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: date · stock · track · pop · fork · roll · shower · hide

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. pop — soda
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. track — a path
  5. pop — music
  6. track — a song
  7. stock — goods
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. shower — to wash
  10. fork — in a road
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. stock — shares
  15. track — to keep track
  16. pop — to visit
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. date — the fruit
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. roll — a cake
  23. roll — a list
  24. hide — to keep secret

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