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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: mark · net · plane · stock · firm · mouse · game · last

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  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. last — finally
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. firm — a company
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. firm — steady
  7. plane — a tool
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a match
  10. net — in sport
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. net — after costs
  13. last — to go on
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. stock — goods
  16. mark — a trace
  17. firm — decided
  18. stock — shares
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. last — final
  21. mark — a grade
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. net — for catching
  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