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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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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: spring · stock · pop · shower · firm · foot · deal · toast

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. firm — steady
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. deal — to handle
  6. pop — soda
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. stock — shares
  10. spring — the season
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. pop — to visit
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. foot — a measure
  15. spring — a coil
  16. shower — rain
  17. stock — goods
  18. toast — bread
  19. spring — of water
  20. firm — decided
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. shower — to wash
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. firm — a company

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