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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. clip — for paper
  3. pop — to visit
  4. scale — size or range
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. present — the time now
  7. scale — in music
  8. pop — soda
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rock — a stone
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. clip — a video
  13. stock — shares
  14. clip — to cut
  15. fall — the season
  16. rock — music
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pop — music
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. stock — goods
  23. present — a gift
  24. mouse — the animal

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