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

Word bank: cabinet · mark · stock · fork · snap · mouse · cell · season

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. stock — shares
  9. cell — a phone
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to click
  12. season — in sport
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. mark — a grade
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. season — of the year
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. fork — in a road

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