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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 116 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: cap · row · rush · bass · ruler · stock · shower · coach

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. row — to paddle
  4. cap — a lid
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. cap — of ice
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — hurry
  13. shower — to wash
  14. row — a line
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — low music
  19. stock — shares
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. stock — goods

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