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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 120 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: firm · mouse · last · tube · shower · squash · stock · pop

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. stock — goods
  3. last — to go on
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. pop — to visit
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. pop — soda
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. shower — to wash
  11. shower — rain
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stock — shares
  14. squash — to crush
  15. tube — a container
  16. last — final
  17. firm — a company
  18. squash — the sport
  19. tube — the underground
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. firm — decided
  22. firm — steady
  23. last — finally
  24. tube — in a tire

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