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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. clip — to cut
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. clip — for paper
  6. clip — a video
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. ground — the earth
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. perch — the fish
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — a position
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. key — in music
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mark — a grade
  24. chair — a leader

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