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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: stock · net · key · race · fan · content · bulb · fine

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — after costs
  3. key — in music
  4. race — a contest
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. content — the amount
  10. key — for a lock
  11. stock — shares
  12. fine — high quality
  13. net — for catching
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. stock — goods
  16. bulb — for light
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. content — happy
  20. fine — all right
  21. race — the arms race
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. race — humankind
  24. key — the most important part

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