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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 120 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 · stand · pound · stock · game · net · straw · pitcher

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. net — for catching
  3. pound — a weight
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — clothes
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. net — in sport
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. stock — goods
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stock — shares
  14. suit — in cards
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. game — a match
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. game — wild animals
  24. net — after costs

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