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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: net · field · arm · club · lie · stock · suit · pit

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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. suit — clothes
  4. lie — to recline
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pit — in a race
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. field — a subject
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. suit — in cards
  12. stock — goods
  13. club — a group
  14. net — in sport
  15. field — farmland
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. club — for golf
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. stock — shares
  21. field — for sport
  22. club — for dancing
  23. suit — to fit
  24. pit — a hole

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