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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.

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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: foot · lie · clip · wound · pit · club · kick · stock

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. clip — a video
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. lie — to recline
  7. club — for dancing
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pit — in a race
  10. kick — in football
  11. stock — goods
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. clip — to cut
  14. stock — shares
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. wound — an injury
  17. clip — for paper
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for golf
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. foot — a measure
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pit — a hole

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