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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. clip — a video
  3. mate — a friend
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. clip — for paper
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rock — a stone
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. perch — the fish
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. mate — to breed
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. degree — an amount
  17. degree — from a university
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. degree — temperature
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mate — a partner
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. clip — to cut
  24. perch — for a bird

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