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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
468
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: swing · rock · can · spring · rush · pop · land · stock

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — music
  5. spring — of water
  6. spring — a coil
  7. pop — to visit
  8. land — a country
  9. spring — the season
  10. can — a tin
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rush — hurry
  13. land — ground
  14. pop — soda
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. can — a tin
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. land — to come down
  19. pop — music
  20. rock — music
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — shares
  23. swing — in golf
  24. can — to be able to

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