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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 116 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: cabinet · mug · firm · stock · cap · tube · net · mate

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. stock — shares
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — after costs
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. mug — to rob
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. firm — a company
  10. cap — a lid
  11. mate — to breed
  12. cap — of ice
  13. net — in sport
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. firm — steady
  16. mate — a partner
  17. tube — a container
  18. mug — a cup
  19. cap — a hat
  20. mate — a friend
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. firm — decided
  23. tube — the underground
  24. stock — goods

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