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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: stock · pit · rash · pop · file · shower · cue · saw

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. rash — hasty
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. file — a line of people
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — rain
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cue — a signal
  10. stock — shares
  11. pop — soda
  12. file — a document
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. pop — to visit
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. cue — a hint
  18. stock — goods
  19. pop — music
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pit — in a race
  22. cue — for pool
  23. file — a tool
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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