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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 116 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: snap · last · fan · rest · firm · net · pound · stock

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. firm — steady
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. snap — to click
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. stock — goods
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. firm — a company
  10. rest — what's left
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. last — to go on
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. stock — shares
  15. rest — what's left
  16. net — in sport
  17. last — final
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — after costs
  20. rest — a break
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. last — finally
  24. firm — decided

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