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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bound — obliged
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. tube — the underground
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. tube — a container
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — goods
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — of the year
  12. chip — to eat
  13. clip — for paper
  14. clip — a video
  15. stock — shares
  16. bound — tied together
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. clip — to cut
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. chip — for betting
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bound — certain
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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