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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: stock · pop · net · drill · bass · jam · mate · hide

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. net — for catching
  5. stock — shares
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. net — in sport
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — a friend
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. pop — music
  16. mate — to breed
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — army training
  19. pop — to visit
  20. drill — the tool
  21. stock — goods
  22. bass — the fish
  23. net — after costs
  24. bass — low music

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