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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. clip — to cut
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fork — in a road
  5. clip — a video
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. swing — in golf
  8. mark — a trace
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. mark — a grade
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. rock — a stone
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — music
  15. clip — for paper
  16. fine — all right
  17. chair — a leader
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. rock — music
  24. fine — high quality

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