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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. mark — a grade
  4. land — a country
  5. hand — in cards
  6. mark — a trace
  7. pitch — completely
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. land — to come down
  10. snap — to click
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pound — a weight
  13. suit — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — to fit
  19. stock — shares
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. stock — goods
  22. hand — help
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. land — ground

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