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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: suit · stock · clip · land · lean · mouse · mark · field

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. clip — a video
  3. stock — goods
  4. suit — in cards
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. clip — to cut
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — a subject
  11. lean — thin
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. suit — clothes
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. clip — for paper
  17. land — to come down
  18. suit — to fit
  19. stock — shares
  20. mark — a grade
  21. land — a country
  22. lean — to bend
  23. land — ground
  24. field — for sport

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