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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: tear · stock · shower · can · track · pass · mouse · staff

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. tear — from crying
  4. staff — employees
  5. stock — shares
  6. can — to be able to
  7. staff — employees
  8. track — a song
  9. shower — rain
  10. shower — to wash
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. can — a tin
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. track — a path
  15. tear — from crying
  16. staff — a stick
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. pass — a permit
  21. stock — goods
  22. track — to keep track
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. tear — to rip

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