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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pit — in a race
  5. perch — the fish
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rule — government
  8. swing — to play on
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. pit — a hole
  11. ball — a dance
  12. swing — in golf
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. clip — for paper
  15. board — a committee
  16. swing — music
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. rock — music
  19. clip — to cut
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. board — to get on
  23. clip — a video
  24. rule — a law

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