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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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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. stock — shares
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — a coil
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. pound — a weight
  8. squash — the sport
  9. land — to come down
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. land — ground
  12. field — farmland
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. field — a subject
  18. squash — to crush
  19. stock — goods
  20. field — for sport
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — in music
  23. land — a country
  24. key — the most important part

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