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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: object · pit · mine · stock · net · bass · lash · track

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. object — an aim
  4. track — a song
  5. net — for catching
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. stock — shares
  8. object — a thing
  9. net — in sport
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. object — to protest
  13. mine — for digging
  14. track — a path
  15. pit — a hole
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bass — the fish
  18. pit — in a race
  19. bass — low music
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. stock — goods
  24. net — after costs

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