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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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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: firm · stock · spell · trunk · snap · date · jam · bound

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. firm — steady
  3. stock — goods
  4. date — the fruit
  5. firm — decided
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. firm — a company
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. bound — certain
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — a short time
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bound — obliged
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. snap — to click
  21. bound — tied together
  22. stock — shares
  23. spell — letters
  24. stock — a soup base

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