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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: mate · stock · pitch · tear · foot · leaves · snap · jam

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. mate — a partner
  5. tear — from crying
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. snap — to click
  10. pitch — completely
  11. stock — goods
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. mate — to breed
  16. foot — a measure
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. mate — a friend
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. stock — shares
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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