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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 120 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: snap · stock · pop · drill · bass · mouse · present · stick

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. snap — to click
  3. present — there
  4. pop — music
  5. present — a gift
  6. pop — soda
  7. bass — the fish
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. stock — goods
  10. bass — low music
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. drill — the tool
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. drill — a practice
  18. present — the time now
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. drill — army training
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. stock — shares
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pop — to visit

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