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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: suit · bowl · stock · mate · land · key · net · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. land — to come down
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. stock — goods
  6. suit — in cards
  7. key — the most important part
  8. net — after costs
  9. land — a country
  10. suit — to fit
  11. stock — shares
  12. key — in music
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. net — in sport
  18. land — ground
  19. mate — a partner
  20. net — for catching
  21. key — for a lock
  22. suit — clothes
  23. mate — to breed
  24. pound — for dogs

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