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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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468
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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. stock — goods
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. present — a gift
  10. pitch — completely
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. wake — a trail
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wind — moving air
  19. present — there
  20. present — the time now
  21. stock — shares
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. snap — to click

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