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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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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. march — the month
  3. clip — for paper
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — after costs
  6. clip — a video
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. press — newspapers
  12. clip — to cut
  13. plane — a tool
  14. press — a publisher
  15. net — for catching
  16. march — the month
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. march — music
  20. press — to push
  21. club — for dancing
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. club — for golf

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