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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: net · bass · nail · pitch · key · firm · pop · stock

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bass — the fish
  3. net — after costs
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. net — in sport
  10. pitch — completely
  11. stock — goods
  12. key — the most important part
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. firm — steady
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — soda
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. firm — decided
  19. pop — to visit
  20. key — in music
  21. net — for catching
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. firm — a company
  24. stock — shares

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