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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: foot · craft · rock · stock · pound · season · board · net

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  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. stock — a soup base
  2. net — in sport
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — in sport
  5. stock — goods
  6. board — to get on
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a skill
  12. foot — a measure
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. stock — shares
  16. net — for catching
  17. rock — a stone
  18. board — a committee
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — music
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. board — a flat piece
  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