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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: stock · fan · pass · safe · shower · court · pit · object

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. object — a thing
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. shower — rain
  5. shower — to wash
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — goods
  8. court — for sport
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. court — of law
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. object — to protest
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. court — of a king
  18. object — an aim
  19. pass — a permit
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. safe — out of danger

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