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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. clip — a video
  7. cap — a hat
  8. game — a match
  9. clip — for paper
  10. perch — the fish
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. cap — a lid
  14. pop — soda
  15. sharp — clever
  16. game — wild animals
  17. suit — in cards
  18. cap — of ice
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. clip — to cut
  21. date — the fruit
  22. pop — music
  23. suit — to fit
  24. pop — to visit

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