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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 116 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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rash — hasty
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. clip — a video
  7. mark — a trace
  8. pop — music
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pop — to visit
  11. march — the month
  12. march — the month
  13. rash — a series
  14. pop — soda
  15. clip — to cut
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pitch — completely
  18. mark — a grade
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. clip — for paper
  23. perch — the fish
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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