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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: ball · stock · row · shower · rock · current · bound · ground

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. row — a line
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. current — of water
  5. rock — a stone
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. shower — rain
  8. rock — music
  9. current — happening now
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — goods
  12. bound — certain
  13. current — electric
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. ball — a dance
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bound — tied together
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bound — obliged
  21. ground — a position
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. ground — the earth
  24. shower — to wash

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