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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
468
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: shower · bay · safe · stock · roll · staff · leaves · racket

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — goods
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. shower — rain
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. staff — employees
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. stock — shares
  15. roll — a list
  16. shower — to wash
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. staff — a stick
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. staff — employees
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. roll — a cake
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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