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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: stock · suit · press · file · rock · pitcher · shower · court

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. suit — to fit
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — shares
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — of law
  7. suit — in cards
  8. file — a line of people
  9. rock — music
  10. file — a tool
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. court — for sport
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — rain
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. file — a document
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. rock — a stone
  21. suit — clothes
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. press — to push
  24. press — a publisher

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