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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: stock · bulb · field · clip · scale · rule · racket · stem

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. rule — government
  3. bulb — for light
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. field — for sport
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. field — a subject
  8. stem — to come from
  9. clip — to cut
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. scale — size or range
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. stock — goods
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. clip — for paper
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. field — farmland
  20. scale — in music
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stock — shares
  24. rule — a law

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