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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: rash · clip · pit · mine · cabinet · fine · stock · mouse

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. clip — a video
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. fine — high quality
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pit — a hole
  13. clip — to cut
  14. rash — hasty
  15. stock — goods
  16. fine — all right
  17. pit — in a race
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. stock — shares
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. clip — for paper
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. stock — a soup base

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