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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. stock — goods
  3. file — a tool
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. clip — for paper
  7. suit — in cards
  8. stock — shares
  9. clip — to cut
  10. file — a document
  11. date — the fruit
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. rash — hasty
  14. file — a line of people
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rash — a series
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bulb — for light
  23. suit — to fit
  24. patient — a sick person

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