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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: stock · plane · game · mine · key · bore · fine · net

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. fine — high quality
  3. key — the most important part
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — for catching
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bore — to drill
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. game — a match
  13. net — in sport
  14. stock — goods
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — shares
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bore — to tire
  21. fine — all right
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. key — in music
  24. key — for a lock

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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