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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: spring · bass · net · can · bowl · toast · mate · stock

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a friend
  3. can — to be able to
  4. toast — bread
  5. can — a tin
  6. spring — the season
  7. net — in sport
  8. bass — low music
  9. spring — a coil
  10. stock — goods
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. net — after costs
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. stock — shares
  15. spring — of water
  16. can — a tin
  17. bass — the fish
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. mate — a partner
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. net — for catching
  24. toast — the most admired

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