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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 116 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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — for catching
  4. suit — clothes
  5. net — in sport
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. snap — to click
  8. suit — in cards
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. fine — high quality
  11. tube — the underground
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. stock — goods
  14. wake — a trail
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. tube — a container
  17. fine — all right
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. suit — to fit
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. tube — in a tire

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