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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: rock · pop · content · stock · sharp · spring · object · pass

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  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. stock — shares
  2. pass — a permit
  3. sharp — clever
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. content — the amount
  6. pop — soda
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. rock — music
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. spring — of water
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. spring — the season
  16. object — an aim
  17. rock — a stone
  18. spring — a coil
  19. object — to protest
  20. stock — goods
  21. content — happy
  22. pop — music
  23. object — a thing
  24. pop — to visit

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