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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. cap — of ice
  4. stock — goods
  5. fork — in a road
  6. snap — to click
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. suit — to fit
  9. clip — a video
  10. scale — size or range
  11. clip — for paper
  12. clip — to cut
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. cap — a lid
  17. suit — clothes
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cap — a hat
  22. scale — in music
  23. suit — in cards
  24. fork — to eat with

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