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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  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. scale — in music
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. stock — shares
  4. clip — a video
  5. content — happy
  6. scale — size or range
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. key — for a lock
  9. rock — a stone
  10. stock — goods
  11. content — the amount
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. prune — to trim
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. key — in music
  18. clip — to cut
  19. clip — for paper
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. key — the most important part
  23. rock — music
  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