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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 120 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. clip — for paper
  6. suit — clothes
  7. stock — shares
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. scale — size or range
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. stock — goods
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. clip — a video
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — decided
  20. suit — to fit
  21. clip — to cut
  22. snap — to click
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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