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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 120 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: suit · game · squash · stock · net · mark · wound · kick

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. suit — in cards
  7. game — wild animals
  8. stock — shares
  9. net — after costs
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. wound — an injury
  13. game — a match
  14. net — for catching
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — to fit
  17. mark — a trace
  18. squash — to crush
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. mark — a grade
  21. stock — goods
  22. net — in sport
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. kick — a thrill

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