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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. pop — music
  3. can — a tin
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. clip — a video
  6. swing — in golf
  7. clip — for paper
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. swing — music
  10. content — the amount
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pop — to visit
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pop — soda
  15. clip — to cut
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. can — a tin
  18. pass — a permit
  19. swing — to play on
  20. content — happy
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. can — to be able to
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. perch — the fish

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