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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. toast — bread
  4. spring — the season
  5. net — in sport
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stock — shares
  8. net — for catching
  9. drill — a practice
  10. rock — music
  11. drill — the tool
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. board — to get on
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. drill — army training
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. board — a committee
  20. spring — a coil
  21. net — after costs
  22. stock — goods
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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