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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: rock · stock · coach · date · object · deal · mouse · clip

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. date — the fruit
  3. clip — for paper
  4. stock — shares
  5. rock — music
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. object — an aim
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. clip — to cut
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. object — a thing
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. deal — to handle
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. rock — a stone
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. object — to protest
  24. stock — goods

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