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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fine — high quality
  3. deal — to handle
  4. season — of the year
  5. clip — a video
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. perch — the fish
  8. club — a group
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — in sport
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. club — for dancing
  15. clip — to cut
  16. fine — all right
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. club — for golf
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. clip — for paper

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