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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. rest — what's left
  3. clip — to cut
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — music
  8. fine — all right
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. clip — a video
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. scale — in music
  13. fine — high quality
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. perch — the fish
  16. swing — to play on
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. scale — size or range
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. content — the amount
  24. content — happy

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