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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
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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: net · rock · rash · spring · bear · season · key · stock

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. net — in sport
  3. key — the most important part
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — of the year
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — in music
  8. bear — the animal
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — after costs
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. season — in sport
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. stock — goods
  16. rock — music
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. rash — a series
  19. stock — shares
  20. spring — of water
  21. spring — the season
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rash — hasty
  24. spring — a coil

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