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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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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: spell · mouse · stock · press · bear · jam · season · snap

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. spell — magic
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. spell — letters
  7. stock — goods
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. season — of the year
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. stock — shares
  16. snap — to click
  17. bear — the animal
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. season — in sport
  20. press — to push
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. spell — a short time
  23. press — a publisher
  24. season — to add flavour

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