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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: row · key · stock · lash · club · shower · mate · pop

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. row — to paddle
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — a line
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. stock — goods
  8. club — for golf
  9. key — the most important part
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. pop — music
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. shower — rain
  14. pop — to visit
  15. shower — to wash
  16. pop — soda
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. club — for dancing
  19. mate — a friend
  20. stock — shares
  21. club — a group
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — in music
  24. mate — to breed

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