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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · deal · pitch · mine · mug · net · drill · pop

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. pop — soda
  4. pitch — completely
  5. drill — army training
  6. net — for catching
  7. pop — to visit
  8. deal — to handle
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — a face
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. mine — for digging
  13. drill — the tool
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. drill — a practice
  17. net — after costs
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — shares
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. net — in sport
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. deal — an agreement

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