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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stock · staff · season · net · object · bowl · fine · date

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. date — the fruit
  3. staff — employees
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — in sport
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. staff — a stick
  14. object — to protest
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — shares
  18. season — of the year
  19. staff — employees
  20. object — an aim
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fine — high quality
  23. object — a thing
  24. fine — all right

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