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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: net · leaves · bass · fine · stock · mouse · nail · kid

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. net — in sport
  4. fine — all right
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — after costs
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. stock — shares
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stock — goods
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. kid — child
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bass — the fish
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. bass — low music
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fine — high quality
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. kid — to tease
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. leaves — to go away

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