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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: stick · pop · row · roll · dip · spell · stand · stock

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. spell — letters
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — goods
  5. pop — music
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. row — to paddle
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — to sink
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. pop — to visit
  15. stand — to bear
  16. spell — magic
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. spell — a short time
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. roll — a list
  22. pop — soda
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. row — a line

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