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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.

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 · dip · racket · bound · mate · stock · toast · pound

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. stock — shares
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bound — tied together
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. pound — a weight
  8. mate — to breed
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — goods
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. bound — certain
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — a friend
  19. toast — bread
  20. spring — of water
  21. bound — obliged
  22. dip — to sink
  23. spring — the season
  24. dip — a sauce

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