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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spring · mine · ball · mark · wake · stock · fork · season

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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. stock — goods
  4. mark — a grade
  5. spring — of water
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. mark — a trace
  13. season — in sport
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — for digging
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — a trail
  20. season — of the year
  21. ball — a great time
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. spring — a coil
  24. ball — a dance

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