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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: press · net · rest · suit · bound · can · stock · bat

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. press — a publisher
  6. can — a tin
  7. press — to push
  8. net — after costs
  9. can — a tin
  10. bound — tied together
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. bat — the animal
  14. net — for catching
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bound — certain
  17. suit — in cards
  18. bound — obliged
  19. can — to be able to
  20. suit — clothes
  21. rest — what's left
  22. press — newspapers
  23. net — in sport
  24. suit — to fit

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