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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: firm · stock · ball · date · pound · net · patient · kick

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. firm — steady
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — after costs
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. firm — a company
  8. stock — goods
  9. pound — a weight
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. kick — in football
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. net — in sport
  17. date — the fruit
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. firm — decided
  20. ball — a great time
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. stock — shares
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. ball — a dance

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