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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. clip — to cut
  4. can — a tin
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wake — a trail
  10. stock — goods
  11. cue — for pool
  12. stock — shares
  13. clip — for paper
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — a signal
  20. clip — a video
  21. vault — a safe
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. can — a tin

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