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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. pop — music
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. pop — soda
  5. clip — for paper
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. current — of water
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. pop — to visit
  10. board — a committee
  11. chip — for betting
  12. clip — a video
  13. current — electric
  14. clip — to cut
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. board — to get on
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. current — happening now
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. chip — to eat
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. vault — a safe

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