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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: scale · pit · stock · snap · fine · row

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a line
  4. fine — high quality
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. stock — shares
  11. scale — size or range
  12. stock — goods
  13. snap — to click
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. scale — in music
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. pit — a hole
  18. fine — all right

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