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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: pound · season · firm · fork · suit · stock · degree · game

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. pound — a weight
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — a company
  5. suit — to fit
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. season — in sport
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. degree — from a university
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — a match
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. suit — clothes
  16. game — wild animals
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. degree — an amount
  19. stock — goods
  20. suit — in cards
  21. season — of the year
  22. fork — in a road
  23. degree — temperature
  24. firm — decided

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