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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: firm · mate · bank · stock · shower · race · rush · fine

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. bank — of a river
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bank — for money
  5. stock — shares
  6. mate — a friend
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — all right
  12. shower — rain
  13. stock — goods
  14. race — humankind
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bank — for money
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — decided
  20. race — the arms race
  21. mate — to breed
  22. race — a contest
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. firm — a company

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