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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 116 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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. drill — the tool
  3. clip — for paper
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. mug — a face
  10. stock — shares
  11. drill — army training
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. drill — a practice
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. clip — a video
  18. stock — goods
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. field — farmland
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — a subject

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