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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. clip — a video
  3. face — part of the head
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — goods
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. clip — for paper
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — to point toward
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. clip — to cut
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pass — a permit
  24. racket — for tennis

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