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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. clip — for paper
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. scale — in music
  6. clip — a video
  7. clip — to cut
  8. season — in sport
  9. tube — the underground
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. scale — size or range
  12. press — to push
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — a publisher
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. stock — goods
  17. season — of the year
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. stock — shares
  20. tube — a container
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a ring

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