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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 116 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 · club · fall · mate · cabinet · field · mine · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. club — for dancing
  3. fall — the season
  4. field — for sport
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mine — for digging
  7. club — for golf
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. shower — rain
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — goods
  15. mate — to breed
  16. stock — shares
  17. field — farmland
  18. field — a subject
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fall — to drop
  22. club — a group
  23. shower — to wash
  24. mate — a partner

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