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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: rock · file · stock · club · shower · mug · fine · capital

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. stock — goods
  4. file — a document
  5. mug — a cup
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. file — a tool
  8. stock — shares
  9. file — a line of people
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. mug — to rob
  12. shower — to wash
  13. mug — a face
  14. shower — rain
  15. capital — a city
  16. rock — a stone
  17. club — a group
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. club — for golf
  20. rock — music
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — all right
  23. club — for dancing
  24. capital — money

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