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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 120 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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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 · shower · stand · row · pit · hand · object · bowl

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. stock — shares
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. shower — to wash
  7. hand — in cards
  8. pit — a hole
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. shower — rain
  14. hand — help
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. object — a thing
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. stock — goods
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. object — an aim
  22. object — to protest
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. row — a line

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