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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: spring · pit · key · bear · wave · patient · deal · stock

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. spring — a coil
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. key — in music
  6. spring — of water
  7. key — the most important part
  8. stock — goods
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bear — the animal
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. spring — the season
  20. pit — in a race
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — to handle
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. stock — shares

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