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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
468
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: kid · plane · can · stock · toast · bass · net · mug

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. can — a tin
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — in sport
  5. plane — a tool
  6. toast — bread
  7. mug — to rob
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bass — low music
  12. mug — a cup
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. mug — a face
  15. stock — goods
  16. bass — the fish
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. can — a tin
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. stock — shares
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. net — for catching

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