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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: ruler · sharp · shower · stock · pound · perch · bat · hide

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bat — the animal
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. shower — rain
  9. sharp — clever
  10. stock — goods
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. stock — shares
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. pound — a weight
  19. shower — to wash
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. pound — to hit hard

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