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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: board · net · squash · stand · racket · file · stock · march

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. march — the month
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. squash — to crush
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. net — after costs
  8. file — a document
  9. board — to get on
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — shares
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. stock — goods
  16. net — for catching
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. file — a line of people
  19. stand — to bear
  20. squash — the sport
  21. board — a committee
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. file — a tool
  24. racket — a loud noise

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