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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: firm · stock · wound · racket · hide · clip · vault · saw

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. 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. racket — for tennis
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. clip — a video
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. clip — for paper
  7. saw — the tool
  8. stock — shares
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. wound — an injury
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — steady
  13. vault — a safe
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. firm — decided
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wound — an injury
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. stock — goods
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. 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