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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 116 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: spell · pound · cap · fine · stock · clip · saw · can

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. spell — magic
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. can — to be able to
  5. spell — a short time
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. cap — of ice
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stock — shares
  10. can — a tin
  11. stock — goods
  12. cap — a lid
  13. pound — a weight
  14. saw — the tool
  15. clip — for paper
  16. cap — a hat
  17. fine — all right
  18. clip — to cut
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. spell — letters
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. can — a tin
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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