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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. clip — a video
  3. stock — goods
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. net — in sport
  10. clip — for paper
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. net — after costs
  13. chair — a leader
  14. stock — shares
  15. bass — the fish
  16. net — for catching
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bass — low music
  20. rush — hurry
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. clip — to cut
  24. hide — to keep secret

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