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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: club · cue · mate · shower · stock · bark · craft · can

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — shares
  4. cue — a signal
  5. mate — to breed
  6. craft — a skill
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — rain
  9. can — to be able to
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. club — a group
  12. can — a tin
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. craft — boats
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. cue — for pool
  18. mate — a partner
  19. club — for dancing
  20. can — a tin
  21. cue — a hint
  22. club — for golf
  23. bark — to shout
  24. mate — a friend

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