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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. perch — the fish
  3. track — a song
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. net — for catching
  7. track — a path
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. track — to keep track
  10. clip — to cut
  11. clip — for paper
  12. rash — a series
  13. pop — to visit
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pop — music
  17. rash — hasty
  18. net — after costs
  19. pop — soda
  20. net — in sport
  21. clip — a video
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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