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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: rush · net · key · cap · roll · shower · can · stock

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. can — to be able to
  3. roll — a list
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. shower — to wash
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. can — a tin
  9. stock — goods
  10. net — after costs
  11. roll — a cake
  12. rush — hurry
  13. net — for catching
  14. cap — a hat
  15. key — for a lock
  16. cap — of ice
  17. key — in music
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. can — a tin
  20. cap — a lid
  21. stock — shares
  22. key — the most important part
  23. net — in sport
  24. shower — rain

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