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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: snap · dip · row · stock · pound · roll · racket · deal

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. row — a line
  4. snap — to click
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. dip — to sink
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. deal — to handle
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. stock — goods
  15. roll — a list
  16. pound — a weight
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. stock — shares
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. row — to paddle
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. roll — a cake
  24. racket — for tennis

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