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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: bowl · date · shower · bank · sharp · pass · key · stock

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bank — of a river
  4. stock — shares
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. key — in music
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bank — for money
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bank — for money
  20. stock — goods
  21. shower — rain
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — with an edge

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