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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: sharp · arm · clip · rush · bark · shower · stock · racket

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. shower — rain
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. shower — to wash
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. clip — for paper
  10. clip — a video
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. stock — shares
  13. bark — to shout
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. clip — to cut
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. rush — hurry
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. stock — goods

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