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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. stock — shares
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. suit — clothes
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — in sport
  14. bark — to shout
  15. net — after costs
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. snap — to click
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stem — to come from
  21. suit — in cards
  22. pound — a weight
  23. stock — goods
  24. leaves — of a tree

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