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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 116 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: track · mark · stock · snap · fine · tear · dip · sharp

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — shares
  4. fine — high quality
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. sharp — clever
  10. snap — to click
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. track — a song
  13. dip — to sink
  14. tear — to rip
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a path
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. fine — all right
  20. tear — from crying
  21. stock — goods
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — a trace
  24. dip — a sauce

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