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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: track · wave · shower · perch · stock · band · coach · plane

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. track — a path
  3. perch — the fish
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. stock — shares
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. track — a song
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. band — a music group
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — rain
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. stock — goods
  20. band — a ring
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. track — to keep track

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