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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: rock · content · press · shower · toast · stock · bank · pop

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. pop — soda
  6. toast — bread
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. shower — rain
  10. press — to push
  11. shower — to wash
  12. content — the amount
  13. rock — a stone
  14. press — a publisher
  15. rock — music
  16. pop — to visit
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bank — for money
  19. stock — shares
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. stock — goods
  23. pop — music
  24. stock — a soup base

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