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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: bay · snap · staff · charge · stick · stock · net · toast

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. staff — employees
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. charge — a price
  7. staff — employees
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. charge — electricity
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. charge — in control
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. staff — a stick
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — after costs
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. stock — goods
  21. toast — bread
  22. stock — shares
  23. net — for catching
  24. snap — to click

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