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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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468
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: leaves · stock · shower · rock · rash · season · racket · wake

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. shower — rain
  6. season — in sport
  7. shower — to wash
  8. wake — a trail
  9. stock — shares
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. rash — a series
  14. stock — goods
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. rock — music
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — a stone
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. rash — hasty
  24. leaves — lets stay

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