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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. stock — shares
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. can — a tin
  7. snap — to click
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. perch — the fish
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. can — a tin
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. stock — goods
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. club — for golf
  20. pitch — completely
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. club — for dancing
  23. can — to be able to
  24. kid — to tease

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