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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: spring · stick · shower · vault · row · racket · band · stock

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. row — to paddle
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — a safe
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. band — a music group
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. band — a ring
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — shares
  15. spring — of water
  16. shower — to wash
  17. spring — the season
  18. shower — rain
  19. row — a line
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. spring — a coil
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. stock — goods
  24. row — a quarrel

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