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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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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: spring · rush · racket · rock · spell · stock · pound · calf

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. spell — magic
  3. rush — hurry
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — music
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. rock — a stone
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. stock — goods
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — the season
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. pound — a weight
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. spring — of water
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. stock — shares
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — a short time
  24. racket — for tennis

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