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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: net · rule · fork · present · spell · stock · toast · mouse

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. net — in sport
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — magic
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. fork — in a road
  9. net — after costs
  10. rule — government
  11. stock — shares
  12. present — a gift
  13. stock — goods
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. present — there
  16. rule — a law
  17. net — for catching
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. present — the time now
  20. spell — a short time
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. toast — bread

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