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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: ground · net · fine · racket · deal · stock · saw · land

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. net — for catching
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. land — to come down
  6. net — after costs
  7. stock — goods
  8. ground — a position
  9. net — in sport
  10. fine — all right
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — the earth
  13. fine — high quality
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. land — a country
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. land — ground
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. stock — shares
  23. saw — the tool
  24. deal — an agreement

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