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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. lie — to recline
  3. scale — size or range
  4. current — electric
  5. current — happening now
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. perch — the fish
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. club — for dancing
  11. clip — to cut
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. track — to keep track
  14. current — of water
  15. track — a song
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. clip — for paper
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. track — a path
  21. club — a group
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. clip — a video
  24. scale — in music

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