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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 116 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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — for catching
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to click
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. firm — a company
  7. plane — a tool
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. firm — steady
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. prune — to trim
  21. net — after costs
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — shares
  24. firm — decided

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