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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 · squash · drill · craft · toast · pitcher · stock · straw

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — the sport
  6. shower — rain
  7. drill — army training
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. drill — the tool
  12. craft — a skill
  13. stock — shares
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. shower — to wash
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. squash — to crush
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. toast — bread
  23. craft — boats
  24. stock — goods

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