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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. clip — a video
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. object — an aim
  6. shower — rain
  7. clip — to cut
  8. object — to protest
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — in cards
  11. object — a thing
  12. clip — for paper
  13. suit — clothes
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. club — for golf
  17. stock — goods
  18. shower — to wash
  19. club — a group
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. club — for dancing
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. stock — shares

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