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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 116 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: stock · squash · clip · suit · fork · wake · bear · cell

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. cell — in biology
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. cell — a phone
  8. suit — to fit
  9. clip — to cut
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. wake — a trail
  12. stock — goods
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. squash — to crush
  15. clip — a video
  16. suit — clothes
  17. clip — for paper
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. suit — in cards
  20. fork — in a road
  21. squash — the sport
  22. stock — shares
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. fork — a garden tool

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