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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. pitch — completely
  3. drill — army training
  4. stock — shares
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. clip — to cut
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. stock — goods
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bank — for money
  15. drill — a practice
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. clip — for paper
  18. deal — to handle
  19. can — a tin
  20. drill — the tool
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. pound — a weight

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