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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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468
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: tube · pitcher · clip · leaves · bear · fork · bore · stock

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. stock — shares
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bear — the animal
  10. clip — to cut
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. fork — in a road
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. tube — a container
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. stock — goods
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bore — to drill
  22. clip — for paper
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. bear — the animal

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