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

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  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. snap — to speak sharply
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. stock — goods
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cell — in biology
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. stock — shares
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. file — a document
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. file — a line of people
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. snap — to click
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pitch — completely
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. racket — a loud noise
  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