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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: drill · saw · game · shower · stock · object · ground · can

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. game — wild animals
  3. object — a thing
  4. can — a tin
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — to wash
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — a position
  10. drill — a practice
  11. can — a tin
  12. stock — shares
  13. object — to protest
  14. can — to be able to
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. ground — crushed
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. shower — rain
  19. drill — the tool
  20. game — a match
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. object — an aim
  24. drill — army training

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