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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. content — the amount
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. clip — for paper
  9. content — happy
  10. row — a line
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. stock — shares
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stock — goods
  16. fine — all right
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bear — the animal
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. row — to paddle
  24. row — a quarrel

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