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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 116 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 · dip · fine · pass · pop · ball · bulb · spring

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. pop — soda
  7. fine — all right
  8. spring — of water
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. spring — the season
  12. fine — high quality
  13. dip — to sink
  14. ball — a great time
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — shares
  17. pass — a permit
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. spring — a coil
  24. ball — a dance

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