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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: stock · spring · rock · bass · firm · date · mark · band

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. spring — a coil
  3. stock — shares
  4. mark — a grade
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — a stone
  8. firm — a company
  9. bass — low music
  10. spring — the season
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a trace
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. date — the fruit
  20. firm — decided
  21. firm — steady
  22. stock — goods
  23. spring — of water
  24. rock — music

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