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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: can · clip · snap · mark · present · pitch · face · stock

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. snap — to click
  3. present — the time now
  4. clip — a video
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. face — to point toward
  7. mark — a trace
  8. can — to be able to
  9. present — a gift
  10. clip — for paper
  11. can — a tin
  12. pitch — completely
  13. can — a tin
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. mark — a grade
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. present — there
  19. clip — to cut
  20. stock — goods
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — part of the head
  24. mark — to pay attention

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