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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. stock — goods
  3. hand — help
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. snap — to click
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. spell — magic
  11. fork — in a road
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. spell — a short time
  14. present — a gift
  15. hand — in cards
  16. lie — to recline
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. spell — letters
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. present — the time now
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. present — there

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