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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: stock · racket · snap · content · jam · last · fall · roll

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. roll — a list
  3. last — finally
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. stock — shares
  8. fall — to drop
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. roll — a cake
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — final
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. fall — the season
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. content — the amount
  22. stock — goods
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. content — happy

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