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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 120 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: stock · cabinet · net · rest · mug · pound · snap · mark

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. mark — a trace
  3. stock — shares
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pound — a weight
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a face
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. net — for catching
  16. mug — a cup
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stock — goods
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. rest — a break
  22. net — after costs
  23. rest — what's left
  24. snap — to click

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