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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: stock · plane · chest · net · lash · suit · last · pit

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. net — for catching
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. net — in sport
  5. pit — a hole
  6. chest — of your body
  7. stock — shares
  8. last — finally
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. suit — to fit
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. last — to go on
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. chest — a box
  16. plane — a tool
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. last — final
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — in cards
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. stock — goods
  23. chest — of your body
  24. pit — in a race

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