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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: shower · bore · cap · ball · pop · straw · cabinet · stock

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. pop — to visit
  3. stock — goods
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. stock — shares
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bore — to drill
  8. cap — of ice
  9. pop — soda
  10. bore — to tire
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. shower — rain
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. cap — a hat
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. pop — music
  23. shower — to wash
  24. ball — a dance

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