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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: snap · stock · stick · cap · pit · firm · pitcher · board

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. snap — to click
  5. stock — goods
  6. firm — decided
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. pit — in a race
  9. stock — shares
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cap — a hat
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. cap — a lid
  18. board — a committee
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. board — to get on
  21. cap — of ice
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. firm — steady

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