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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: tube · mouse · spring · craft · last · stock · cap · key

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. cap — of ice
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. craft — boats
  5. key — the most important part
  6. tube — a container
  7. last — finally
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. last — to go on
  10. key — for a lock
  11. craft — a skill
  12. spring — of water
  13. tube — the underground
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. key — in music
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — a hat
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stock — goods
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — the season
  23. stock — shares
  24. craft — a handicraft

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