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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: field · pass · net · land · stock · suit · saw · key

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. land — ground
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. net — for catching
  5. suit — in cards
  6. key — in music
  7. field — farmland
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. suit — clothes
  10. net — after costs
  11. key — for a lock
  12. pass — a permit
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. field — for sport
  15. saw — the tool
  16. suit — to fit
  17. land — to come down
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. key — the most important part
  20. net — in sport
  21. stock — shares
  22. saw — the tool
  23. land — a country
  24. stock — goods

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