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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: stock · chip · bank · ruler · perch · toast · saw · snap

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. toast — bread
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — shares
  5. saw — the tool
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. bank — for money
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — for betting
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bank — of a river
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. perch — the fish
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bank — for money
  21. stock — goods
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. snap — to click

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