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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. ball — a great time
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — shares
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. ball — a dance
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stem — to come from
  15. clip — a video
  16. clip — to cut
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. clip — for paper
  24. mouse — the animal

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