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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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Word bank
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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: hide · ball · clip · date · key · prune · stock · fall

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. clip — a video
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — goods
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. key — the most important part
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. fall — to drop
  11. ball — a great time
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. key — for a lock
  14. date — the fruit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. key — in music
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. clip — to cut
  19. clip — for paper
  20. prune — to trim
  21. ball — a dance
  22. fall — the season
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fall — to drop

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