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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: present · bat · snap · wake · toast · stock · perch · bear

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. bat — the animal
  3. present — there
  4. stock — shares
  5. bear — the animal
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — the time now
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. toast — bread
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. snap — to click
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. perch — the fish
  23. bear — the animal
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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