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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 116 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: lash · cap · ruler · ball · staff · shower · perch · stock

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — a stick
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. ball — a dance
  5. cap — a lid
  6. stock — goods
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cap — a hat
  12. ball — a great time
  13. shower — rain
  14. cap — of ice
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stock — shares
  19. staff — employees
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. shower — to wash
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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