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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: field · net · key · stock · mouse · present · fall · spell

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. net — after costs
  4. fall — the season
  5. field — farmland
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — for catching
  8. spell — letters
  9. fall — to drop
  10. spell — a short time
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. field — a subject
  13. present — there
  14. spell — magic
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stock — shares
  17. key — the most important part
  18. stock — goods
  19. present — a gift
  20. key — in music
  21. field — for sport
  22. present — the time now
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. fall — to drop

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