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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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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. net — in sport
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — to drill
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — shares
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. clip — for paper
  12. net — after costs
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. content — happy
  16. content — the amount
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. clip — to cut
  20. net — for catching
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — a hole
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the sport

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