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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 120 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: shower · stock · lie · chip · craft · press · pit · row

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  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. row — to paddle
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. shower — to wash
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. pit — a hole
  9. craft — boats
  10. stock — goods
  11. row — a line
  12. press — newspapers
  13. shower — rain
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. chip — for betting
  16. lie — to recline
  17. press — to push
  18. pit — in a race
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. press — a publisher
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. chip — to eat
  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