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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  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. stock — a soup base
  2. charge — a price
  3. row — to paddle
  4. clip — a video
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. clip — to cut
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. charge — in control
  11. clip — for paper
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. charge — electricity
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — in a road
  19. stock — shares
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. row — a line
  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