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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: calf · club · dip · root · stock · ball · kid · shower

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. kid — child
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. ball — a dance
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. stock — shares
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. club — a group
  10. root — of a word
  11. dip — to sink
  12. stock — goods
  13. shower — to wash
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. root — of a plant
  18. club — for dancing
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. club — for golf
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. root — the cause

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