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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bank — for money
  5. present — there
  6. snap — to click
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bank — of a river
  9. face — part of the head
  10. stock — shares
  11. fine — all right
  12. face — to point toward
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — high quality
  15. dip — to sink
  16. present — the time now
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bank — for money
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. face — to confront
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. present — a gift

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