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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 120 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: stem · snap · stock · mouse · stick · wake · mug · pit

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stock — shares
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. pit — a hole
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — a cup
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pit — in a race
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. stock — goods
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. wake — a trail
  22. stem — to come from
  23. mug — to rob
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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