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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: net · cell · dip · pop · straw · stock · key · object

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. net — for catching
  4. pop — soda
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. pop — to visit
  7. stock — shares
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. object — an aim
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. object — a thing
  12. dip — to sink
  13. stock — goods
  14. pop — music
  15. key — for a lock
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. net — in sport
  18. key — in music
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. object — to protest
  21. cell — a phone
  22. net — after costs
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. key — the most important part

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