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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 · tube · stock · key · bore · current · season · can

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — in sport
  4. current — happening now
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. spring — the season
  8. key — for a lock
  9. can — a tin
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. key — in music
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. spring — of water
  15. bore — to drill
  16. spring — a coil
  17. key — the most important part
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bore — to tire
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — a container
  22. stock — shares
  23. current — of water
  24. current — electric

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