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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: stock · mine · pop · rock · mug · arm · snap · season

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. pop — soda
  3. mug — to rob
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. season — in sport
  6. mug — a cup
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. mug — a face
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. mine — for digging
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stock — goods
  17. season — of the year
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — music
  20. stock — shares
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — to visit
  24. mine — belonging to me

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