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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: field · stock · rest · leaves · net · pitch · content · rule

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stock — goods
  3. content — the amount
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. field — farmland
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rule — a law
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — after costs
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. pitch — completely
  17. field — for sport
  18. content — happy
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. field — a subject
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. net — for catching
  24. rest — a break

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