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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. shower — to wash
  3. date — the fruit
  4. cue — a hint
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. clip — a video
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. clip — for paper
  11. key — for a lock
  12. fork — in a road
  13. shower — rain
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. pop — soda
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. key — in music
  20. key — the most important part
  21. cue — for pool
  22. pop — music
  23. cue — a signal
  24. pop — to visit

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