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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. sharp — clever
  5. clip — for paper
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. stock — goods
  8. clip — to cut
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. rush — hurry
  17. stem — to come from
  18. pit — a hole
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. clip — a video
  23. stock — shares
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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