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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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. bore — to tire
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. clip — a video
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. dip — to sink
  8. clip — to cut
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. clip — for paper
  14. object — an aim
  15. stock — shares
  16. object — a thing
  17. bore — to drill
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. object — to protest
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stock — goods

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