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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. perch — the fish
  3. clip — a video
  4. clip — to cut
  5. key — for a lock
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. mark — a grade
  9. content — the amount
  10. key — in music
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. can — a tin
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — a lid
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. cap — of ice
  21. clip — for paper
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. content — happy
  24. key — the most important part

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