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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bank · fine · snap · roll · sharp · mate · pound

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. roll — a cake
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bank — for money
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. pound — a weight
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. bank — for money
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. stock — shares
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — all right
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — to breed
  18. stock — goods
  19. sharp — clever
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bank — of a river
  24. roll — a list

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