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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. net — in sport
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. stock — goods
  7. root — of a plant
  8. rest — what's left
  9. net — for catching
  10. mark — a trace
  11. root — the cause
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. net — after costs
  15. mark — a grade
  16. root — of a word
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — of the year
  20. rest — a break
  21. stock — shares
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. snap — to click

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