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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. pound — a weight
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. snap — to click
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bank — for money
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bank — for money
  16. stock — goods
  17. bank — of a river
  18. content — happy
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. dip — to sink
  22. content — the amount
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — of the year

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