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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. current — happening now
  7. clip — for paper
  8. cold — an illness
  9. stock — shares
  10. clip — to cut
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. bear — the animal
  15. current — of water
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. cold — not warm
  18. stock — goods
  19. season — of the year
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. clip — a video
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. current — electric
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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