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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
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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 · key · lash · toast · ball · clip · pitcher · drill

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. drill — the tool
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. clip — a video
  7. toast — bread
  8. ball — a great time
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — for a lock
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — a practice
  15. stock — goods
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. key — in music
  20. ball — a dance
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. clip — to cut
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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