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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: stock · swing · key · lie · mouse · net · ground · toast

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. swing — to play on
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — for catching
  8. key — the most important part
  9. stock — goods
  10. ground — the earth
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stock — shares
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. swing — in golf
  16. lie — to recline
  17. swing — music
  18. ground — crushed
  19. key — for a lock
  20. toast — bread
  21. ground — a position
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. key — in music
  24. net — after costs

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