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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: rest · pound · spring · jam · wake · stock · leaves · rash

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  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. spring — the season
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. stock — shares
  6. spring — a coil
  7. wake — a trail
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rest — what's left
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. spring — of water
  14. rash — a series
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. stock — goods
  17. rash — hasty
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. rest — a break
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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