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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fine · wound · stock · spring · can · bore · rock · object

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — goods
  3. object — to protest
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. bore — to tire
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. wound — an injury
  10. rock — a stone
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. spring — a coil
  13. can — to be able to
  14. rock — music
  15. object — an aim
  16. bore — to drill
  17. stock — shares
  18. wound — an injury
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — high quality
  21. object — a thing
  22. spring — the season
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. spring — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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