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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. clip — a video
  3. rest — what's left
  4. can — a tin
  5. field — farmland
  6. stock — goods
  7. rest — a break
  8. field — for sport
  9. object — an aim
  10. stock — shares
  11. can — a tin
  12. object — to protest
  13. field — a subject
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. clip — to cut
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bear — the animal
  19. object — a thing
  20. tear — to rip
  21. rest — what's left
  22. tear — from crying
  23. can — to be able to
  24. clip — for paper

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