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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: row · stock · foot · drill · dip · bass · can · date

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the fish
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. date — the fruit
  6. stock — shares
  7. drill — the tool
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — to sink
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. foot — a measure
  13. stock — goods
  14. row — to paddle
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. row — a line
  17. drill — army training
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. can — a tin
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. can — to be able to
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. date — on the calendar

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