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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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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: pit · mate · bay · stock · club · net · rush · snap

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. net — for catching
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. pit — a hole
  5. rush — hurry
  6. club — for golf
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. club — for dancing
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. club — a group
  13. snap — to click
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. mate — a friend
  17. stock — shares
  18. net — in sport
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. mate — a partner
  21. net — after costs
  22. stock — goods
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. mate — to breed

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