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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. clip — a video
  3. can — a tin
  4. ground — crushed
  5. staff — employees
  6. mark — a trace
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — a position
  12. stock — shares
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. swing — to play on
  15. clip — for paper
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — in golf
  18. clip — to cut
  19. stock — goods
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — part of the head
  22. staff — employees
  23. mark — a grade
  24. face — to point toward

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