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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: bowl · mark · net · patient · stock · pit · chip · roll

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. roll — a list
  3. stock — goods
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. roll — a cake
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. pit — in a race
  9. net — for catching
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. net — after costs
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. stock — shares
  14. chip — to eat
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. net — in sport
  19. mark — a trace
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. pit — a hole
  22. chip — for betting
  23. mark — a grade
  24. stock — a soup base

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