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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. clip — a video
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. charge — electricity
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cue — a hint
  10. clip — for paper
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. perch — the fish
  13. stock — shares
  14. charge — a price
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cap — a lid
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — a list
  20. cap — of ice
  21. stock — goods
  22. charge — in control
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. clip — to cut

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