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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: row · stand · season · fine · net · band · roll · racket

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  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. row — to paddle
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. roll — a cake
  4. net — after costs
  5. season — in sport
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. row — a line
  8. roll — a list
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. net — in sport
  13. band — a ring
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a music group
  18. stand — to bear
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. fine — high quality
  22. season — of the year
  23. fine — all right
  24. net — for catching

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