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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · mouse · staff · squash · spring · bowl · ground · rash

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. stock — shares
  6. ground — the earth
  7. staff — a stick
  8. stock — goods
  9. spring — the season
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. staff — employees
  14. squash — the sport
  15. spring — of water
  16. rash — a series
  17. squash — to crush
  18. spring — a coil
  19. ground — crushed
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. staff — employees

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