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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — in control
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pass — a permit
  10. clip — for paper
  11. pit — a hole
  12. fine — high quality
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. perch — the fish
  15. cap — of ice
  16. mug — a cup
  17. clip — to cut
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. charge — a price
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — a hat
  22. clip — a video
  23. mug — a face
  24. mug — to rob

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