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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. stock — shares
  3. club — for dancing
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. clip — to cut
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. deal — to handle
  8. club — for golf
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. clip — a video
  13. club — a group
  14. stock — goods
  15. spring — the season
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. clip — for paper
  24. spring — of water

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