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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: land · club · shower · object · rock · stock · sharp · staff

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. stock — shares
  3. object — a thing
  4. shower — rain
  5. stock — goods
  6. land — a country
  7. rock — music
  8. club — for dancing
  9. shower — to wash
  10. staff — a stick
  11. land — ground
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. club — a group
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. staff — employees
  17. sharp — clever
  18. object — to protest
  19. rock — a stone
  20. staff — employees
  21. object — an aim
  22. land — to come down
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. club — for golf

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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