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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. can — to be able to
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — goods
  6. can — a tin
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — temperature
  9. suit — to fit
  10. spell — magic
  11. suit — in cards
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — the fruit
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. spell — a short time
  17. stock — shares
  18. degree — an amount
  19. suit — clothes
  20. spell — letters
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to click
  23. can — a tin
  24. date — on the calendar

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