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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · straw · mouse · racket · temple · pop · rash · stock

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  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. pop — soda
  2. pop — to visit
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. shower — rain
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. stock — shares
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pop — music
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. rash — hasty
  20. shower — to wash
  21. rash — a series
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stock — a soup base
  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