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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. clip — a video
  3. pop — to visit
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. current — electric
  6. pass — a permit
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. clip — for paper
  9. suit — to fit
  10. pop — soda
  11. current — happening now
  12. pop — music
  13. march — music
  14. suit — clothes
  15. march — the month
  16. club — a group
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. clip — to cut
  19. suit — in cards
  20. perch — the fish
  21. current — of water
  22. club — for golf
  23. march — the month
  24. pass — to succeed

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