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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.

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 · craft · pass · perch · spring · capital · pound · roll

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. spring — of water
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. craft — a skill
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. stock — shares
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. capital — money
  13. craft — boats
  14. capital — a city
  15. roll — a cake
  16. perch — the fish
  17. spring — the season
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. spring — a coil
  21. roll — a list
  22. pass — a permit
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. pound — a weight

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