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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · cap · pit · stem · wind · charge · stock · fan

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. net — after costs
  3. cap — a lid
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. charge — in control
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. net — for catching
  10. charge — a price
  11. wind — moving air
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. pit — in a race
  14. cap — of ice
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. charge — electricity
  17. cap — a hat
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. wind — moving air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. stem — to come from
  22. net — in sport
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — goods

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