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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: deal · stock · bat · rest · rock · board · shower · stick

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bat — the animal
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. stock — shares
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. rock — a stone
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. rest — a break
  12. shower — rain
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. shower — to wash
  16. rock — music
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — to get on
  20. rest — what's left
  21. stock — goods
  22. rest — what's left
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bat — in an idiom

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