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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. suit — in cards
  3. stock — goods
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — help
  6. season — in sport
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. can — a tin
  9. dip — to sink
  10. can — to be able to
  11. suit — clothes
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. suit — to fit
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to click
  18. pitch — completely
  19. can — a tin
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — shares
  23. season — of the year
  24. hand — in cards

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