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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: clip · toast · leaves · object · stock · deal · fork · rash

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. rash — hasty
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. stock — goods
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. object — an aim
  14. clip — a video
  15. toast — bread
  16. deal — to handle
  17. clip — for paper
  18. clip — to cut
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. fork — in a road
  23. object — a thing
  24. rash — a series

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