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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 116 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: rush · row · stock · cue · spring · rock · wake · cap

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — hurry
  4. cue — for pool
  5. rock — music
  6. cue — a signal
  7. stock — shares
  8. rock — a stone
  9. cap — a hat
  10. stock — goods
  11. spring — of water
  12. row — to paddle
  13. cap — of ice
  14. wake — a trail
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. cap — a lid
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. row — a line
  21. spring — a coil
  22. cue — a hint
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. row — a quarrel

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