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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: hide · stock · pound · kick · can · pass · pop · bat

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. stock — goods
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pop — music
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. can — a tin
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. can — to be able to
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pop — to visit
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bat — the animal
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pass — a permit
  16. can — a tin
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. kick — in football

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