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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. present — a gift
  3. net — for catching
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to click
  7. present — the time now
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. stock — goods
  11. root — of a plant
  12. can — to be able to
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. lean — thin
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — the cause
  17. net — in sport
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. present — there
  20. can — a tin
  21. lean — to bend
  22. net — after costs
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. can — a tin

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