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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: mouse · perch · stock · branch · mug · spell · cue · shower

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. spell — letters
  5. stock — shares
  6. mug — to rob
  7. stock — goods
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. spell — a short time
  10. shower — rain
  11. branch — a division
  12. spell — magic
  13. perch — the fish
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. mug — a face
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mug — a cup
  23. cue — a hint
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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