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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. staff — employees
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bound — obliged
  5. clip — a video
  6. stock — goods
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. perch — the fish
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mug — to rob
  12. staff — employees
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. mug — a cup
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bound — tied together
  17. mug — a face
  18. bound — certain
  19. stock — shares
  20. bear — the animal
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. clip — to cut

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