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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. spring — the season
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — shares
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. spring — a coil
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. current — happening now
  9. cue — for pool
  10. clip — for paper
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. current — electric
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. cue — a hint
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. spring — of water
  20. cue — a signal
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. current — of water
  23. clip — to cut
  24. clip — a video

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