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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · perch · craft · stock · ruler · firm · file · press

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. stock — goods
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. file — a tool
  6. firm — decided
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. craft — a skill
  9. press — newspapers
  10. craft — boats
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. shower — rain
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. file — a document
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. firm — steady
  17. stock — shares
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. firm — a company
  20. press — to push
  21. shower — to wash
  22. press — a publisher
  23. file — a line of people
  24. perch — the fish

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