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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 116 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 · kid · pound · bowl · fork · mug · mine · press

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. stock — shares
  3. kid — to tease
  4. stock — goods
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. pound — a weight
  7. mine — for digging
  8. press — to push
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. mug — a face
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. press — newspapers
  14. kid — child
  15. fork — in a road
  16. mug — a cup
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. press — a publisher
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. pound — for dogs

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