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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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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: rash · stock · perch · rock · charge · shower · cap · track

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. stock — goods
  3. shower — rain
  4. track — a path
  5. shower — to wash
  6. rock — a stone
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. cap — a hat
  10. rock — music
  11. rash — hasty
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rash — a series
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. charge — in control
  16. cap — of ice
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. stock — shares
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a song
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. cap — a lid
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. charge — electricity

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