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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. saw — the tool
  3. land — a country
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. firm — decided
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. sharp — clever
  9. land — ground
  10. stock — shares
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. tube — a container
  14. firm — steady
  15. stock — goods
  16. firm — a company
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. clip — for paper
  19. saw — the tool
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. clip — to cut
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. land — to come down

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