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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: mouse · pop · can · shower · wake · cabinet · stock · perch

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. shower — rain
  4. stock — goods
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. pop — soda
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pop — music
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stock — shares
  14. can — a tin
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pop — to visit
  18. perch — the fish
  19. can — to be able to
  20. wake — a trail
  21. shower — to wash
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. can — a tin

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