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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. stand — to bear
  5. firm — a company
  6. clip — to cut
  7. stock — goods
  8. press — to push
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. clip — a video
  11. firm — decided
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. kid — child
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — clever
  17. stock — shares
  18. press — a publisher
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. firm — steady
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. clip — for paper
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. press — newspapers

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