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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. fall — to drop
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. spring — a coil
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. spring — of water
  8. clip — for paper
  9. clip — to cut
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. spring — the season
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stock — shares
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stock — goods
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. fall — the season
  23. stem — to come from
  24. fall — to drop

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