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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. spring — the season
  3. net — for catching
  4. stock — shares
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — hurry
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. spring — of water
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. stock — goods
  16. squash — the sport
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. spring — a coil
  20. rock — music
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. squash — to crush
  23. net — after costs
  24. rock — a stone

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