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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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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: land · rock · bark · can · stock · snap · scale · nail

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. can — to be able to
  4. stock — goods
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. land — to come down
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. scale — in music
  12. land — ground
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — a stone
  20. stock — shares
  21. bark — to shout
  22. snap — to click
  23. rock — music
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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