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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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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: temple · net · race · stock · club · racket · board · press

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. race — a contest
  3. club — for dancing
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. press — newspapers
  6. board — to get on
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. race — humankind
  9. press — to push
  10. club — for golf
  11. press — a publisher
  12. board — a committee
  13. club — a group
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — goods
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. stock — shares
  19. race — the arms race
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. net — after costs
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — in sport

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