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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: dip · rock · bulb · clip · bay · stock

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. 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. clip — a video
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. dip — to sink
  8. clip — for paper
  9. stock — goods
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. stock — shares
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bulb — for light
  18. 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