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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 · bowl · stock · fine · racket · ruler

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. net — in sport
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. net — for catching
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. fine — all right
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — goods
  17. net — after costs
  18. racket — for tennis

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