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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: fan · stock · cabinet · calf · shower · rash · bass · key

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. rash — hasty
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — in music
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — goods
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. key — the most important part
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bass — the fish
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rash — a series
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. shower — rain
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bass — low music
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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