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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 120 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: bound · stock · fine · band · present · net · pitch · lie

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. band — a music group
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — after costs
  5. fine — high quality
  6. stock — shares
  7. present — the time now
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bound — certain
  12. pitch — completely
  13. band — a ring
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bound — tied together
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. net — in sport
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bound — obliged
  20. present — there
  21. present — a gift
  22. fine — all right
  23. stock — goods
  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