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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: row · jam · pound · mouse · stock · spring · stick · chair

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. spring — of water
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. spring — the season
  12. row — to paddle
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. chair — a leader
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. stock — goods
  20. spring — a coil
  21. row — a line
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. stock — shares

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