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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: row · bulb · mark · snap · spell · stock · jam · pitch

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. stock — shares
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. row — a line
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. spell — magic
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. spell — letters
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. row — to paddle
  16. pitch — completely
  17. snap — to click
  18. bulb — for light
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. row — a quarrel

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