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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: face · stock · rest · safe · pitcher · track · shower · fan

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. face — to point toward
  5. track — a song
  6. shower — to wash
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. face — to confront
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. rest — what's left
  13. track — to keep track
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. shower — rain
  17. track — a path
  18. stock — shares
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. face — part of the head
  23. safe — a strongbox
  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