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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: mate · scale · mug · chip · content · stock · shower · lash

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. mug — a cup
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. scale — in music
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mug — a face
  8. content — the amount
  9. chip — to eat
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mug — to rob
  14. shower — rain
  15. stock — goods
  16. shower — to wash
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. chip — for betting
  21. stock — shares
  22. content — happy
  23. mate — to breed
  24. scale — size or range

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