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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: last · squash · stem · stock · spring · ball · current · rest

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. spring — of water
  3. ball — a great time
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. last — final
  7. stock — shares
  8. current — happening now
  9. rest — a break
  10. stem — to come from
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. current — of water
  13. current — electric
  14. last — to go on
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. ball — a dance
  17. last — finally
  18. spring — the season
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stock — goods
  21. rest — what's left
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. spring — a coil

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