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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 120 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. clip — a video
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. current — of water
  8. stock — goods
  9. clip — for paper
  10. rule — a law
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. stock — shares
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. mug — a face
  15. mug — to rob
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. current — electric
  19. deal — to handle
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. mug — a cup
  24. rule — government

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