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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. firm — a company
  4. ball — a great time
  5. firm — steady
  6. perch — the fish
  7. net — for catching
  8. firm — decided
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wake — a trail
  11. net — in sport
  12. clip — for paper
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. net — after costs
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. clip — to cut
  19. bear — the animal
  20. fork — in a road
  21. ball — a dance
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. ball — a round shape

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