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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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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. snap — to click
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. stock — shares
  6. pop — to visit
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. track — a song
  9. suit — clothes
  10. hand — help
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. track — to keep track
  15. hand — in cards
  16. track — a path
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — music
  19. suit — in cards
  20. stock — goods
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. suit — to fit
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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