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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: leaves · bark · game · snap · swing · pitcher · stock · toast

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. stock — goods
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. swing — music
  6. snap — to click
  7. game — wild animals
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. game — a match
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. toast — bread
  17. swing — in golf
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. stock — shares
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. swing — to play on

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