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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 120 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: mine · pit · stock · wound · suit · clip · perch · mouse

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. wound — an injury
  3. mine — for digging
  4. stock — shares
  5. suit — in cards
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pit — in a race
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. clip — for paper
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stock — goods
  13. suit — clothes
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. clip — to cut
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. suit — to fit
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pit — a hole
  24. perch — the fish

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