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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. clip — a video
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. cold — not warm
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. suit — clothes
  8. charge — in control
  9. cold — an illness
  10. charge — a price
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. charge — electricity
  13. fine — high quality
  14. pit — in a race
  15. clip — for paper
  16. perch — the fish
  17. suit — in cards
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. suit — to fit
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. fine — all right
  22. wake — a trail
  23. clip — to cut
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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