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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: file · net · board · bowl · jam · stock · leaves · firm

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — decided
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. net — in sport
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. file — a document
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. firm — steady
  16. stock — shares
  17. file — a line of people
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. board — to get on
  22. net — for catching
  23. board — a committee
  24. file — a tool

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