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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 · swing · bore · wave · net · cabinet · fine · stock

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bore — to drill
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. firm — a company
  5. net — in sport
  6. swing — in golf
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. firm — decided
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. swing — music
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. net — after costs
  15. firm — steady
  16. fine — all right
  17. stock — goods
  18. swing — to play on
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. stock — shares
  23. bore — to tire
  24. net — for catching

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