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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: key · firm · pit · stock · net · spring · track · fall

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. spring — of water
  3. net — in sport
  4. pit — in a race
  5. spring — a coil
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. fall — the season
  8. net — after costs
  9. fall — to drop
  10. key — the most important part
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. key — in music
  13. firm — decided
  14. pit — a hole
  15. spring — the season
  16. firm — a company
  17. net — for catching
  18. key — for a lock
  19. stock — goods
  20. track — a song
  21. firm — steady
  22. stock — shares
  23. track — a path
  24. track — to keep track

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