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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.

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 · bowl · dip · wave · snap · perch · jam · hand

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. perch — the fish
  4. snap — to click
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. hand — help
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. stock — shares
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. stock — goods
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. hand — in cards
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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