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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — there
  4. bear — the animal
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. season — of the year
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. clip — a video
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. season — in sport
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — completely
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. present — a gift
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. clip — to cut
  24. season — to add flavour

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