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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: press · ball · sharp · rest · shower · bay · fine · stock

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  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. bay — a part of the sea
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — clever
  4. rest — what's left
  5. shower — rain
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. ball — a dance
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. rest — a break
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — shares
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — all right
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. press — newspapers
  19. ball — a great time
  20. stock — goods
  21. fine — high quality
  22. press — to push
  23. press — a publisher
  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