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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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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: clip · mate · stock · present · bear · craft · pit · nail

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — a gift
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. clip — to cut
  6. present — there
  7. clip — a video
  8. clip — for paper
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — shares
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. craft — boats
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. mate — a friend
  19. stock — goods
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — a skill
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pit — in a race
  24. mate — a partner

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