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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 116 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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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 · staff · squash · racket · object · dip · snap · wake

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. stock — goods
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. staff — employees
  6. dip — to sink
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. squash — the sport
  9. object — a thing
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. object — to protest
  13. squash — to crush
  14. stock — shares
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. staff — a stick
  20. wake — a trail
  21. staff — employees
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. object — an aim

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