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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: shower · snap · track · pop · stock · rush · swing · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. snap — to click
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — music
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — rain
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. track — a path
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pop — to visit
  16. track — a song
  17. track — to keep track
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. pop — soda
  20. swing — in golf
  21. stock — goods
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. pop — music

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