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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. stand — to bear
  3. net — for catching
  4. cue — a signal
  5. stock — goods
  6. clip — a video
  7. cue — for pool
  8. net — in sport
  9. club — a group
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. cue — a hint
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. clip — for paper
  14. club — for golf
  15. charge — a price
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. net — after costs
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bat — the animal
  21. club — for dancing
  22. stock — shares
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. charge — in control

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