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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. row — a line
  6. row — to paddle
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. rest — what's left
  9. stock — shares
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. chair — a leader
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. snap — to click
  20. pound — a weight
  21. rest — a break
  22. net — after costs
  23. net — in sport
  24. stock — goods

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