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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 120 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 · can · bat · stock · scale · cap · firm · saw

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  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. can — a tin
  2. cap — of ice
  3. firm — decided
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — size or range
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. stock — shares
  10. can — a tin
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — a company
  13. cap — a lid
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. snap — to click
  17. saw — the tool
  18. scale — in music
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bat — the animal
  23. stock — goods
  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