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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. stock — shares
  4. clip — to cut
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. rest — what's left
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. spring — the season
  9. clip — for paper
  10. clip — a video
  11. rest — a break
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. chip — to eat
  14. spring — of water
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. rest — what's left
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. chip — for betting
  24. spring — a coil

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