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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 120 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: rush · mug · shower · squash · dip · stock · bore · net

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. shower — to wash
  3. net — after costs
  4. bore — to tire
  5. net — for catching
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. mug — a cup
  8. dip — to sink
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. stock — goods
  14. shower — rain
  15. bore — to drill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. mug — a face
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. mug — to rob
  24. dip — a sauce

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