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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: mark · drill · foot · jam · net · stock · rest · band

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. drill — a practice
  3. stock — goods
  4. net — in sport
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. band — a ring
  7. net — after costs
  8. rest — what's left
  9. drill — the tool
  10. stock — shares
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. rest — a break
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. net — for catching
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. drill — army training
  21. mark — a trace
  22. foot — a measure
  23. mark — a grade
  24. rest — what's left

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