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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: wake · stock · can · ruler · club · spring · drill · pop

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. spring — the season
  3. can — to be able to
  4. spring — of water
  5. stock — shares
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. can — a tin
  8. drill — a practice
  9. wake — a trail
  10. pop — soda
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pop — music
  13. stock — goods
  14. club — for dancing
  15. can — a tin
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. club — a group
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. pop — to visit
  21. drill — army training
  22. spring — a coil
  23. club — for golf
  24. wake — before a funeral

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