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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: dip · net · pound · bound · pit · bat · stock · spring

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. stock — goods
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. pound — a weight
  6. bat — the animal
  7. spring — a coil
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. net — for catching
  10. spring — the season
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bound — obliged
  14. pit — in a race
  15. spring — of water
  16. stock — shares
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. net — after costs
  19. bound — certain
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. net — in sport
  22. dip — to sink
  23. pit — a hole
  24. dip — to dunk

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