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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: tube · key · shower · stock · ruler · spell · can · swing

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. key — in music
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. tube — the underground
  6. shower — to wash
  7. can — a tin
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — a container
  10. can — to be able to
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. can — a tin
  13. spell — magic
  14. swing — in golf
  15. shower — rain
  16. stock — shares
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — the most important part
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. spell — letters
  22. swing — to play on
  23. stock — goods
  24. swing — music

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