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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: rock · mouse · fork · stock · suit · track · spring · pitcher

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. fork — in a road
  4. track — to keep track
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. spring — the season
  7. rock — music
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. spring — of water
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. track — a path
  12. rock — a stone
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — clothes
  15. spring — a coil
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. suit — to fit
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. pitcher — a jug

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