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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: ground · stock · cap · net · foot · rock · bulb · fine

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. cap — a lid
  4. rock — a stone
  5. stock — shares
  6. cap — a hat
  7. foot — a measure
  8. net — after costs
  9. ground — crushed
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bulb — for light
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. net — in sport
  16. stock — goods
  17. net — for catching
  18. ground — a position
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. rock — music
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. ground — the earth

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