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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 120 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 · fork · rule · object · bear · nail · stock · squash

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. object — to protest
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bear — the animal
  6. stock — goods
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. stock — shares
  12. spring — a coil
  13. object — a thing
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. object — an aim
  16. rule — a law
  17. bear — the animal
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fork — in a road
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. spring — of water
  24. bear — to put up with

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