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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. club — for golf
  8. club — for dancing
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. clip — to cut
  11. roll — a list
  12. perch — the fish
  13. club — a group
  14. key — the most important part
  15. clip — for paper
  16. key — for a lock
  17. mate — a partner
  18. clip — a video
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. mate — a friend
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — for betting
  23. key — in music
  24. roll — a cake

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