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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: pop · net · bass · mine · fan · roll · pit · mark

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — after costs
  4. pop — soda
  5. pit — a hole
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. pit — in a race
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mark — a grade
  14. pop — music
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — low music
  18. mark — a trace
  19. net — in sport
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. roll — a cake
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. roll — a list

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