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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: rock · stock · deal · shower · mark · toast · cue · perch

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. stock — shares
  4. cue — for pool
  5. rock — music
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. stock — goods
  8. shower — to wash
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. toast — bread
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. cue — a signal
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. deal — to handle
  20. shower — rain
  21. mark — a grade
  22. cue — a hint
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. rock — a stone

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