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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: field · object · temple · clip · tear · stock · ball · club

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. stock — shares
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. object — a thing
  5. clip — a video
  6. object — to protest
  7. club — a group
  8. clip — for paper
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. club — for dancing
  13. tear — from crying
  14. clip — to cut
  15. ball — a great time
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — farmland
  18. object — an aim
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. tear — to rip
  21. club — for golf
  22. ball — a dance
  23. stock — goods
  24. field — a subject

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