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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. key — for a lock
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. clip — for paper
  5. land — ground
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. stock — shares
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. key — in music
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. land — a country
  14. stock — goods
  15. perch — the fish
  16. clip — a video
  17. clip — to cut
  18. key — the most important part
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. land — to come down
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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