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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cabinet · fan · stock · net · pitcher · drill · file · rock

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. file — a line of people
  6. drill — army training
  7. rock — music
  8. file — a document
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. net — in sport
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stock — shares
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. net — after costs
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. file — a tool
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stock — goods
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. rock — a stone
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. drill — a practice
  24. drill — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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