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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. stock — goods
  4. club — for dancing
  5. rush — hurry
  6. branch — a division
  7. clip — to cut
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. rest — what's left
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. club — for golf
  14. clip — for paper
  15. stock — shares
  16. rock — music
  17. rest — what's left
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. cell — in biology
  20. rest — a break
  21. rock — a stone
  22. club — a group
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. cell — a phone

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