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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. clip — a video
  3. clip — for paper
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. stock — goods
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. suit — in cards
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. clip — to cut
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. chair — a leader
  14. suit — to fit
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. suit — clothes
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stock — a soup base

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