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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
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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 · fan · ground · game · bore · kick · stock · bass

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. ground — crushed
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bore — to drill
  7. stock — shares
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — the earth
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. net — in sport
  13. kick — in football
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bass — low music
  16. net — after costs
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bore — to tire
  19. game — wild animals
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. game — a match
  24. net — for catching

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