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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stock · spring · season · rush · key · scale

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. 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. rush — a thrill
  2. key — the most important part
  3. stock — goods
  4. key — for a lock
  5. scale — size or range
  6. rush — hurry
  7. spring — the season
  8. scale — in music
  9. spring — a coil
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. season — of the year
  12. spring — of water
  13. stock — shares
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. key — in music
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — in sport
  18. 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