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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: pop · stand · jam · spell · bulb · root · court · stock

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. spell — a short time
  3. pop — music
  4. stand — to bear
  5. root — of a plant
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. bulb — for light
  8. spell — magic
  9. bulb — for light
  10. spell — letters
  11. stock — shares
  12. court — of law
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. pop — soda
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. court — of a king
  18. stock — goods
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. root — the cause
  23. root — of a word
  24. pop — to visit

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