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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stock · squash · chip · clip · pitcher · tear · ball · stick

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. clip — for paper
  4. ball — a dance
  5. tear — from crying
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. tear — from crying
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. clip — a video
  13. tear — to rip
  14. stock — goods
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. ball — a great time
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. chip — for betting
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. clip — to cut
  23. squash — to crush
  24. stock — shares

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