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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.

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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. stem — to come from
  3. fork — in a road
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — shares
  7. track — a song
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. track — to keep track
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. clip — to cut
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. foot — a measure
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. track — a path
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. clip — for paper
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. clip — a video
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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