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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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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: prune · hide · shower · stock · mouse · net · deal · squash

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. net — for catching
  5. shower — to wash
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — to crush
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. shower — rain
  14. stock — goods
  15. prune — to trim
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. net — after costs
  19. prune — to trim
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. deal — to handle
  23. stock — shares
  24. net — in sport

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