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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: mouse · stock · tear · cap · clip · present · toast · saw

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. cap — a lid
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. stock — shares
  6. tear — to rip
  7. cap — a hat
  8. tear — from crying
  9. clip — for paper
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. toast — bread
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. cap — of ice
  14. stock — goods
  15. present — a gift
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. clip — to cut
  18. saw — the tool
  19. tear — from crying
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. clip — a video
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. present — there

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