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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: fan · chip · bay · content · stock · cue · shower · coach

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — to wash
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cue — a hint
  8. chip — to eat
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — shares
  13. content — the amount
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. content — happy
  16. stock — goods
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. cue — a signal
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. chip — for betting
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cue — for pool

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