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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. hand — help
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — goods
  6. can — to be able to
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mark — a grade
  9. clip — a video
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. can — a tin
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. clip — for paper
  15. hand — in cards
  16. present — there
  17. present — the time now
  18. stock — shares
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. can — a tin
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. mark — a trace
  24. clip — to cut

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