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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 · snap · dip · cap · net · bound

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. dip — to sink
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. net — in sport
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — after costs
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — certain
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bound — obliged
  15. stock — goods
  16. snap — to click
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — a soup base

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