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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. clip — for paper
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — electricity
  13. clip — to cut
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. perch — the fish
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pound — a weight
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. charge — a price
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. clip — a video

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