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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.

Make a worksheet

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: stock · hide · roll · squash · mouse · racket · net · snap

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. stock — goods
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. stock — shares
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. roll — a cake
  10. roll — a list
  11. net — after costs
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. snap — to click
  19. squash — the sport
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — in sport
  23. squash — to crush
  24. stock — a soup base

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