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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: stock · net · pop · wave · fine · pass · press · bound

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. net — for catching
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. net — after costs
  5. pop — music
  6. press — to push
  7. press — newspapers
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. press — a publisher
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pop — soda
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. fine — all right
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bound — tied together
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — obliged
  20. net — in sport
  21. pop — to visit
  22. stock — goods
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. stock — shares

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