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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. stock — goods
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. clip — a video
  14. mark — a trace
  15. pit — a hole
  16. fork — in a road
  17. clip — to cut
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pit — in a race
  23. arm — a part of something
  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