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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 120 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: rush · spring · perch · stick · stock · bound · stand · rock

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stock — goods
  3. spring — of water
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bound — obliged
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — tied together
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rush — hurry
  15. spring — a coil
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. stand — to bear
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. stock — shares
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — a stone
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. spring — the season

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