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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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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: date · stock · foot · hand · cue · toast · club · shower

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. shower — rain
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. club — a group
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — a signal
  10. hand — help
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. shower — to wash
  13. club — for golf
  14. date — the fruit
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. hand — in cards
  21. toast — bread
  22. foot — a measure
  23. stock — shares
  24. club — for dancing

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