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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: fine · game · stock · pop · cold · spring · leaves · stick

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. spring — the season
  3. stock — goods
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. pop — soda
  8. cold — not warm
  9. cold — an illness
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pop — to visit
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. fine — high quality
  17. game — a match
  18. spring — of water
  19. stock — shares
  20. fine — all right
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. pop — music
  23. spring — a coil
  24. stock — a soup base

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