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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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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: key · net · bear · season · stock · firm · prune · mark

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. net — after costs
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bear — the animal
  5. season — of the year
  6. mark — a grade
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. prune — to trim
  9. net — for catching
  10. season — in sport
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. net — in sport
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — in music
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — steady
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — shares
  19. mark — a trace
  20. firm — a company
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bear — the animal
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. prune — to trim

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