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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 · stock · net · suit · season · toast · leaves · pit

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. stock — goods
  3. net — for catching
  4. stock — shares
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — in sport
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. board — a committee
  9. pit — a hole
  10. board — to get on
  11. net — in sport
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. net — after costs
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. suit — clothes
  20. toast — bread
  21. suit — to fit
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. pit — in a race
  24. suit — in cards

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