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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 · wound · foot · kid · can · dip · straw · stock

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. dip — to sink
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. net — for catching
  6. foot — a measure
  7. net — after costs
  8. wound — an injury
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. can — to be able to
  17. net — in sport
  18. kid — child
  19. stock — shares
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. wound — an injury
  22. kid — to tease
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. straw — dry grass

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