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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 120 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: fan · stock · rest · pop · arm · spring · pass · craft

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. spring — of water
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — to visit
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. spring — a coil
  8. stock — goods
  9. spring — the season
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. craft — boats
  15. pass — a permit
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — a skill
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. stock — shares
  22. rest — what's left
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pop — music

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