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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 120 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: rush · key · mate · net · calf · pound · stock · foot

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — shares
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mate — a friend
  7. pound — a weight
  8. net — for catching
  9. mate — a partner
  10. foot — a measure
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. rush — hurry
  13. mate — to breed
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. net — after costs
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. key — for a lock
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. net — in sport
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. key — the most important part
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. pound — for dogs

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