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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. cap — a lid
  5. clip — for paper
  6. clip — to cut
  7. stock — goods
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. stock — shares
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. cap — a hat
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. cap — of ice
  19. clip — a video
  20. vault — a safe
  21. foot — a measure
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. lash — an eyelash

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