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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: pitcher · march · net · stock · suit · prune · rash · board

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stock — goods
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. suit — clothes
  7. board — to get on
  8. net — after costs
  9. march — the month
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. rash — hasty
  12. net — in sport
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rash — a series
  16. march — music
  17. suit — in cards
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. stock — shares
  20. suit — to fit
  21. march — the month
  22. board — a committee
  23. prune — to trim
  24. net — for catching

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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