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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 · swing · stock · drill · cabinet · staff · pop · arm

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. staff — a stick
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. net — in sport
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. staff — employees
  8. pop — soda
  9. net — for catching
  10. stock — goods
  11. swing — music
  12. drill — the tool
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. drill — a practice
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. swing — in golf
  17. swing — to play on
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. net — after costs
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — to visit
  23. staff — employees
  24. drill — army training

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