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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · spell · straw · squash · sharp · fine · pop · bulb

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. stock — shares
  5. spell — letters
  6. pop — to visit
  7. spell — a short time
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. stock — goods
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. pop — soda
  19. fine — all right
  20. spell — magic
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bulb — of a plant

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