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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 120 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: present · wave · pit · stock · spring · track · fine · content

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. spring — the season
  3. fine — high quality
  4. present — the time now
  5. spring — of water
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pit — a hole
  8. present — there
  9. fine — all right
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a song
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. pit — in a race
  15. content — the amount
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. track — a path
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — shares
  21. spring — a coil
  22. content — happy
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. fine — a penalty

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