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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 120 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. clip — for paper
  3. drill — the tool
  4. charge — in control
  5. clip — to cut
  6. charge — electricity
  7. mug — to rob
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mug — a face
  12. perch — the fish
  13. mug — a cup
  14. pop — soda
  15. mate — a friend
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — army training
  18. mate — a partner
  19. charge — a price
  20. mate — to breed
  21. clip — a video
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — to bear
  24. pop — music

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