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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 · net · mark · scale · snap · file · root · toast

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. toast — bread
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — shares
  6. root — of a word
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. scale — size or range
  9. stock — goods
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. net — for catching
  12. root — of a plant
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a document
  15. scale — in music
  16. root — the cause
  17. net — after costs
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. mark — a grade
  22. net — in sport
  23. file — a line of people
  24. mark — a trace

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