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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: present · shower · bay · bass · stock · rush · pit · staff

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — the fish
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. staff — a stick
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. pit — a hole
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. present — a gift
  12. shower — to wash
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. stock — goods
  17. bass — low music
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. pit — in a race
  20. shower — rain
  21. present — there
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. present — the time now

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