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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: roll · kick · stock · pass · shower · chip · date · can

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. roll — a cake
  3. can — a tin
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. kick — in football
  6. can — to be able to
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. shower — to wash
  10. chip — for betting
  11. date — the fruit
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. chip — to eat
  17. stock — goods
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. shower — rain
  20. can — a tin
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. roll — a list

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