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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: mouse · game · snap · ball · row · bay · saw · stock

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. ball — a great time
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. saw — the tool
  8. stock — shares
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. ball — a dance
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. row — a line
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. snap — to click
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. game — wild animals
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. game — a match
  22. row — to paddle
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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