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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
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: object · fork · land · stock · calf · mouse · clip · safe

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. clip — for paper
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. object — to protest
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. object — an aim
  9. stock — goods
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. object — a thing
  13. stock — shares
  14. clip — to cut
  15. fork — in a road
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. land — to come down
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. land — ground
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. land — a country

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