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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
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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: stock · key · rash · content · sharp · pop · clip · fall

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. sharp — clever
  3. content — happy
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. clip — for paper
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — to visit
  10. rash — a series
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. pop — music
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — shares
  15. rash — hasty
  16. clip — a video
  17. fall — to drop
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — the most important part
  23. clip — to cut
  24. key — in music

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