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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. perch — the fish
  3. land — to come down
  4. object — to protest
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. object — a thing
  7. cue — for pool
  8. present — the time now
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. object — an aim
  11. squash — to crush
  12. clip — a video
  13. squash — the sport
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. key — for a lock
  16. land — ground
  17. present — a gift
  18. key — the most important part
  19. land — a country
  20. present — there
  21. cue — a signal
  22. key — in music
  23. clip — for paper
  24. cue — a hint

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